Influence of culture and spiritual tradition on support for families of children dying in intensive care units

Abstract

Purpose

Parents utilize spirituality as a means of coping during and after a child's death. Complexity of grief associated with loss of a child suggests the paramount importance of providing appropriate support for parents while experiencing their child's critical illness or end of life. This qualitative study focused on how parental culture and spiritual traditions influenced spiritual needs and coping during and after their child's death.

Results

Findings indicated three themes that illustrate the end-of-life and bereavement process: 1) Coping during hospitalization and the end-of-life stage; 2) coping during the bereavement stage; and 3) advice for parents and staff.

Conclusions

Results of this study confirm that in order to provide optimal family centered care, hospitals must provide support for parents that is culturally and spiritually sensitive to respond to their needs.

Implications to practice

To integrate the results into practice, hospital-wide education for staff on the importance of cultural and spiritual sensitivity is recommended. Additionally, collaboration with spiritual care teams, especially for patients and families facing complex diagnoses or advance care planning, will enhance the provision of culturally and spiritually sensitive care.