The hidden cost of loss: Professional bereavement and its effect on nurses' professional quality of life.

Abstract

Objective: Professional bereavement is a frequently overlooked yet significant experience among nurses, particularly in contexts involving serious illness and end-of-life care. Its impact on professional quality of life remains insufficiently understood. This study aimed to examine the relationship between professional bereavement and professional quality of life among nurses.

Methods: This descriptive correlational study was conducted with 176 nurses working in three hospitals in Ankara, Türkiye, between January and June 2022. Data were collected using the Professional Bereavement Scale and the Professional Quality of Life Scale. Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression analyses were performed to examine relationships and predictive effects.

Results: Nurses' short-term reactions to professional bereavement were moderate, whereas cumulative effects were above average. Nurses with postgraduate education had significantly higher accumulated global change scores than those with a bachelor's degree. Short-term bereavement reactions showed weak positive correlations with compassion satisfaction, burnout, and compassion fatigue, whereas cumulative changes showed moderate positive correlations with compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue. Regression analysis indicated that both short-term and cumulative dimensions of professional bereavement significantly predicted professional quality of life, with cumulative changes explaining 30-38% of the variance in compassion fatigue.

Significance of results: Professional bereavement is a significant predictor of nurses' professional quality of life, highlighting the need for bereavement-focused support to promote psychological well-being and sustainable care. This study uniquely demonstrates differential effects of short-term versus cumulative professional bereavement on compassion satisfaction, burnout, and compassion fatigue and suggests that postgraduate education may paradoxically increase vulnerability to cumulative grief among nurses.