BEREAVEMENT IN HEALTHCARE WORKERS
Andreja C. Škufca Smrdel
Caring for seriously ill patients can elicit grief responses in health professionals - „professional grief" Research shows that it can manifest in different ways at emotional, cognitive, physical, and behavioral levels. The intensity of grief following the death of a patient is described as moderate to high, but it is less intense than grief following the loss of a loved one, but still a source of distress. Grief affects the well-being of medical staff, relationships with patients and their families, and patient care. Few authors have explored this area, nor is it a completely clear concept that overlaps with both distress and burnout. On the other hand, it raises the question of whether the research disinterest follows the „unwritten request" - ignore, suppress, hide, because working in healthcare with many losses, one is often expected to turn away from one's internal experiences in order to rapidly move on to the next patient. In addition, it is important for grieving health care professionals to attend to their well-being, as this is important both to themselves and to the patients and family members they will continue to care for.
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