Parents experience of using ‘cold’ facilities at a children’s hospice after the death of their baby: a qualitative study

Norton, Elisabeth (2018) Parents experience of using ‘cold’ facilities at a children’s hospice after the death of their baby: a qualitative study. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

Preview

PDF Download (1MB) | Preview

Abstract

Background: Movement in Children‘s hospices in the UK has seen the introduction of various ‘cold’ facilities, which allow families to spend time with their baby after they have died. To date, only two studies have explored the use of these facilities. This thesis aims to understand the experiences of parental grief and how this is expressed through a systematic review and explore the experiences of parents who have used ‘cold’ facilities within a paediatric hospice after the death of their infant.

Methods: A qualitative thematic synthesis of the literature was conducted using electronic databases and relevant reference sections of papers to evaluate parental grieving patterns. Alongside this, a qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with seven parents who had used ‘cold’ facilities at a regional children‘s hospice. Data were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis.

Results: The systematic review found 7 studies which met the inclusion criteria. Quality was appraised, and data was analysed using thematic synthesis. Three themes identified: Affective vs. non-affective expression of grief; a reciprocal negotiation of grief; the pointlessness and importance of words. The thematic analysis of the qualitative study identified eight key themes.

Conclusions: The research highlighted the unique experiences of parental grief and the experience of using ‘cold’ facilities. It highlighted the need for education, discussion and openness about death and grief within the wider community. Limitations and directions for future research are considered.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
Depositing User:	Users 9280 not found.
Date Deposited:	16 Nov 2018 13:17
Last Modified:	26 Nov 2018 15:05
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/68929
DOI:

Downloads

Actions (login required)

View Item