Factors Influencing Occupational Grief Among Pediatric Emergency and Intensive Care Unit Nurses in South China: A Cross-Sectional Study.

AIM: This study aimed to assess the level of occupational grief among pediatric emergency and intensive care unit nurses and identify the factors influencing it.

DESIGN

Descriptive cross-sectional study.

METHODS

Conducted from March to May 2024, the study included 265 pediatric nurses from 13 tertiary hospitals in South China. Data were collected via electronic questionnaires, which encompassed sociodemographic questions, the Chinese Version of the Grief Traits and State Scale for Nurses (GSSNs), the Disenfranchised Grief Scale (DGS), the Chinese Version of the Professional Grief Support Scale for ICU Nurses (PGSS-INs), the Chinese Version of the Psychological Detachment Subscale, and the Chinese Version of the Psychological Resilience Scale. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression models were used.

RESULTS

Occupational grief was found to be at a high level among the 265 pediatric nurses (mean score: 48.54 ± 9.458 and range: 17-85). Univariate analysis showed significant differences in grief scores based on age, religion, work experience, death education, end-of-life care education, and experienced the loss of a close friend or family member. Pearson correlation analysis found negative correlations between total occupational grief and psychological resilience, psychological detachment, competence in handling patient deaths, acceptance of patient deaths, and psychological preparedness for patient deaths and a positive correlation with disenfranchised grief. Multiple linear regression identified elderly age, lack of death education, personnel loss experience, higher disenfranchised grief, and lower acceptance of patient death as significant factors.

CONCLUSION

Occupational grief in pediatric emergency and ICU nurses directly impacts mental health. Nursing managers should prioritize mental health, provide systematic death education, and establish psychological support interventions.