Nurses' bereavement experiences of a deceased colleague due to COVID‐19: A phenomenological study

Abstract

Abstract Aim Healthcare workers have little time to mourn due to the intensification of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Although grief is a normal part of life and death, the circumstances surrounding the death can affect the grieving process. So far, the nurses' experience in mourn for a deceased colleague in the COVID‐19 pandemic has not been determined. Identifying these experiences can provide opportunities to formulate appropriate strategies to functionally adapt to death and promote mental health and well‐being during this crisis. This study aimed to understand the nurses' experiences in mourning for a deceased colleague due to COVID‐19. Design This was an interpretive phenomenological study. Method Participants included 10 nurses with the bereavement experience following the death of a colleague due to COVID‐19, who were selected through purposive sampling, and the data were collected through in‐depth and semi‐structured interviews and analysed using Diekelmann et al.'s (1989) approach. Results The nurses' bereavement experiences were in the form of eight themes: disbelief and amazement, acceptance with grief, lasting sadness, unsung laments, bringing back memories, impulse to leave the service, a professional myth and holy death. For nurses, mourning for the death of a colleague due to COVID‐19 is like a lasting sadness that begins with disbelief and amazement and changes to acceptance with sadness. From the fellow nurses' point of view, this type of death was perceived as a holy death, which along with countless unsung laments and memories brought to us the association of a professional legend, and that such a fate would be inevitable for us as well, it was a push to leave the service. Public Contribution Crisis managers and policymakers need to add protocols and training programs for resilience skills and healthy mourning.

Keywords

• bereavement experience
• COVID‐19
• phenomenology