Ann Doran NZRN, BN 

Staff Nurse and Bereavement Service Coordinator, PICU, Starship Child Health, Auckland, NZ

Ann is a senior staff nurse in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at Starship Children’s Health in Auckland. She is also the coordinator of the PICU Bereavement Follow-up Service.

Ann’s background is cardiothoracic intensive care, and it was while working at Green Lane Hospital that she first became aware of the need for bereavement follow up for grieving parents.  Ann was instrumental in setting up the Bereavement Service at Starship when the current unit opened in 2003. She works closely with both medical and nursing staff, as well as the Starship Grief Counsellor, to ensure bereaved parents are supported both during their hospital stay and in the first few months following the death of their child.

When it comes to grief, size does matter. In PICU, we are constantly needing to support children and their families through various losses. How we manage these challenging situations can make a real difference in these families’ lives.

Children grieve according to their ages and stages of development. If we have some understanding of their needs at this time, we will be better able to guide them through this process.

Grief theory can help to direct us in our practice when caring for parents grieving the death of their child. The concept of Family Centred Care also needs to be embedded in our care of families at this time.

Transitioning from active to palliative treatment can be challenging for both parents and PICU staff. There are a number ways we can ensure this process runs smoothly. International research also gives us some ideas of what may be helpful for parents.

This presentation aims to give ideas of how to manage one of the most daunting aspects of nursing, caring for a dying child and their family. Research has shown that health professionals who are educated and informed on end of life care have less anxiety about their roles in these situations.