Coronavirus Grief

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Specializes in Peds, Med-Surg, Disaster Nsg, Parish Nsg.

Coronavirus has resulted in almost 62,000 deaths in the United States and 228000 worldwide. Most of the hospitalized patients have died without the comfort of family presence. Nurses have taken over the role of the comforter at the bedside at the end of life for many. No matter how many deaths nurses have seen, the mere numbers and conditions of Covid deaths are almost unbearable for the nurses, healthcare team and the general public.

It is definitely unbearably sad for the families who are not allowed to see their family members for most, if not all, of hospitalization and end of life. This is further complicated by the rules now surrounding funerals/burials.

Nurses and healthcare workers also have to deal with the death of their own loved ones and co-workers. Do nurses get bereavement leave during Covid or do they have to return to work and continue to deal with their personal grief while caring for patients with the same deadly virus that killed their own loved one?

Have you experienced the loss of a family member or co-worker to Coronavirus?

Do you know a co-worker that has experienced the loss of a family member?

Is bereavement leave permitted at this time?

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

We are definitely permitting bereavement leave and have a wealth of resources set up for our healthcare workers, nurses and otherwise, covid and otherwise, to deal with the mental health toll this situation is taking on all of us. I round on nights and weekends giving out the information. I have never seen nurses so grateful to find out there are people they can talk to.

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Specializes in Journalism.

Hi, I was just following up on your comment about how grateful nurses are to get information about counseling, loss etc. I'm a health reporter with USA Today and am working on a story about the effect grief has on our mental and physical health. Do you know of any nurses who have lost loved ones while caring for COVID patients?

Jayne

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.
2 hours ago, JayneOD said:

Hi, I was just following up on your comment about how grateful nurses are to get information about counseling, loss etc. I'm a health reporter with USA Today and am working on a story about the effect grief has on our mental and physical health. Do you know of any nurses who have lost loved ones while caring for COVID patients?

Jayne

I do but I am not at liberty to share that information.

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Specializes in Journalism.

My email is [email protected] and cell is 703 216 4538 if there is someone who can/wants to share. Thanks.

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