A Study on Hemodialysis Nurses’ Grief Reaction and Coping Behaviors toward Patient’s Death

[[abstract]]There is an extraordinary nursing-patient relationship, resulting from the characteristics of long-term and close care, between hemodialysis nurses and patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among loss reactions, disenfranchised grief, and coping behaviors of hemodialysis nurses toward patient’s death. 391 nurses who were sampled from hemodialysis centers at hospital or clinics, filled out the questionnaire. Measure instruments used in this study were “Loss reaction Scale”, Disenfranchised Grief Scale”, and “Scale of Coping Behaviors to Patient’s Death”. Data were collected and statistical analyses were performed.Findings of the study were as follows:1.The loss reaction and disenfranchised grief of hemodialysis nurses toward patient’s death were common and in medium degree. The direct-passive coping behaviors toward patient’s death were used most frequently, and the indirect-passive methods were least frequently used.2.There were significant influences on loss reactions toward patient’s death in educational background of hemodialysis nurses and all characteristics of died patients.3.There were significant influences on disenfranchised grief in duration of nursing career, patient’s age, and period of caring the patient.4.There were significant influences on coping behavior in nurse’s age, duration of nursing career, period of caring the patient, and familiar degree with the died patient.5.The loss reaction correlated positively with disenfranchised grief of hemodialysis nurses to patient’s death.6.There were significant positive correlations among loss reaction, disenfranchised grief, and coping behavior to patient’s death in hemodialysis nurses. 7.The duration of nursing career, familiar degree with died patient, loss reactions, and disenfranchised grief could predict the different coping behaviors effectively. Finally, the advanced discussions and further suggestions were addressed based on the results of this study