Leading Through Loss

One of the most painful experiences for any parent is the death of a child.  Not only is the family affected by the loss, but also the extended family of co-workers, neighbors and community.  But not many leaders, including those in healthcare, are prepared for the challenges that can face an organization when a staff member loses a child through an accident or illness.   This presentation will focus on 7 strategies, supported by the evidence-based literature, that promote healthy healing environments following the death of a child through the discussion of two case studies.  1) Go to the hospital with the family who lost the child.  Nothing communicates caring and commitment like being present during a time of crisis.  2) Prepare the family for what comes next. If the child died from an accident, especially at home, then state child protective services and law enforcement officers will be conducting interviews as a part of their investigation.  3) With the consent of the family, share information in a group venue with your staff members. Inform the staff of the family desires regarding contact via phone or visits to home.  Keresztes (2006) states that it is the immediate manager’s responsibility to notify staff of the death, impending funeral services and the desires of the family. 4)  Gather appropriate information to support decision making. Jeanne McGill identified 63 decisions that must be made at the time of death (Goforth, 2015).   5) Connect the family to resources.  Co-workers are often very eager to help.  Allow co-workers to engage in helping to care for the family.   Tasks such as helping to arrange transportation, deliver meals, and coordinate reservations for to incoming family and friends can be very helpful to the grieving family.6) Acknowledge the grief of the family and co-workers.  Be supportive, but also allow each person to work their way through the painful grief process at their own pace.  Employee assistance programs may be available within your organization that provide grief counseling services.  7) Attend the funeral.  Butler and others (2014) found that parents have a strong need for follow-up care that may include the staffs’ presence at the child’s funeral. Specific nursing and leadership interventions will be discussed for each of the strategies.