When a Baby Dies: When Families Need You the Most

Abstract

A NEONATAL NURSE SEES SOME truly stressful situations in the NICU. Day in and day out, infants are brought into the NICU, others are discharged to go home, and in between there are a lot of health care needs to tend to for each patient. Add to those demands caring for each patient’s family—helping them address the reality of their child’s special needs now and going forward. Although most nurses in the NICU love their jobs and thrive on the ever-changing environment, one of the most difficult tasks is likely working with the family of an infant who is dying. It is heartbreaking to see a child die and to watch family members go through such trauma. But you can help prepare grieving families for this stressful life event and support them so that they can handle it with dignity.