Positive Implications of Experiencing Grief for Health Professionals in Iran: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Background: As an unavoidable experience in oncology departments, grief following a patient’s death, coupled with work difficulties, can affect health professionals’ individual and work performance. Objectives: The present research was conducted to explain the positive consequences following the experience of grief for oncology nurses. Methods: In 2021, the present qualitative study utilized content analysis and interviewed 20 nurses working in the oncology wards of hospitals affiliated with universities of medical sciences in Iran. Purposive sampling was performed, and data were collected through unstructured interviews until reaching data saturation. The data collected were analyzed in MAXQDA10 based on conventional content analysis. Results: The main concepts were categorized into three themes and seven subthemes. The themes included “promoting and practicing religious beliefs,” “feeling rewarded after experiencing grief,” and “promoting ethical virtues.” Conclusions: According to the present findings, the nurses identified having profound religious and spiritual beliefs, promoting ethical virtues, and using positive experiences associated with grief over patient deaths as the positive implications of experiencing grief. These results can be employed to design interventions for preventing burnout in nurses and assisting them in providing high-quality care. Strengthening the positive implications of experiencing grief is one way to prevent the negative effects of grief on health professionals. Recommendations include implementing educational programs to improve these outcomes.