- Email: [email protected]
Grief and Loss
I. E ‘I’ ‘I’ E K S
Bereavement Photographs
I commend Primeau and Recht for their contributory effort, “Professional Bereavement Photographs: One Aspect of a Perinatal Bereavement Program” (January 1994 Solution-Oriented Tberapy JOGNN). There are seldom in print I applaud the publication of “Soluspecific, usable suggestions for ention-Oriented Therapy Techniques hancing the care nurses give famifor Women’s Health Nurses” by lies who experience perinatal loss. Neumann and O’Hanlon Hudson, We in obstetrics focus much of our which appeared in the January time and literary effort on family1994 issue of JOGNN Although my centered care and supporting background is early parent-child healthy delivery outcomes. “How(obstetric) nursing, my concentra- ever, much is still lacking in regard tion during graduate school was in to ensuring sensitive and consismental-health nursing. I was intro- tent follow-upcare from the profesduced to a solution-focused/ori- sional staff after the loss of an infant ented therapeutic practice model due to miscarriage, stillbirth, or while in graduate school. I have neonatal death” (Ilse & Furrh, found that a solution-focused 1988). model fits well with Martha Rogers’ The article on improving the conceptual framework for nursing. quality and esthetic value of beI incorporate both into my prac- reavement photos given to families tice, whether I wear my therapist or provides a lesson in art for the clinmy lactation consultant hat. ical nurse. By utilizing suggestions A solution-focused or oriented for improving the quality of these model is wonderfully positive and pictures, nurses can increase their helps low-functioning as well as confidence and present the family high-functioning clients move for- with “living proof’ that their child ward with amazing speed. Because existed. Photos mean so much to solutions generally are client gen- bereaved parents. erated, with help from the care I was fortunate to have reprovider to move from the general viewed this article just days before to the specific, health-care pro- caring for a couple delivering a viders can delete the derogatory full-term stillborn infant. The positerm “compliance” from their vo- tioning techniques offered in the cabularies. Clients usually imple- article helped me to provide them ment solutions they reach for with a beautiful keepsake portrait. themselves. In addition, self-gen- Nurses as well as bereaved parents erated solutions empower clients to think for and trust in themselves. There are many other easy-to-learn solution-focused techniques that The JOGNN editor welcomes readers’ comments. Address letters were not included in the article. I to the editor, JOG“, 700 14th St., hope to see additional solution-orNW, Suite 600, Washington, DC iented techniques in future issues 20005-2019. All letters should be of JOGNN.
Karen Kerkhoff Gromada, MSN, RN, IBCLC President, Health Education Institute, I n c. Cincinnati, OH
Ju!y/August 1994
typed double-space and signed by the author. Letters will be published at the editor’s discretion, and JOG” reserves the right to edit all letters.
appreciate your sharing articles such as this.
Reference Ilse, S., bz Furrh, C. (1988). Development of a comprehensive follow-up care plan after perinatal and neonatal loss. Journal of Perinatal Nursing, 2, 23-33.
Rosanne Guinta, RN,BSN Perinatal Staff Nurse Palos Community Hospital Palos Heights, IL
Grief and LOSS Congratulations on an outstanding issue of JOGNN (February 1994). In my opinion,JOGNNcontinues to improve year after year, but this issue deserved special mention. I read it twice! The futuristic tone of the clinical issues section was exciting and challenging. The key role that nursing plays in all aspects of health-care reform as well as perinatal and women’s health also is exciting. However, possible gaps in service may occur, and one especially concerns me. Grief and loss definitely will accompany many of the issues identified in the articles on health-care policy, reproductive technologies, and fetal surgery. Yet none of the authors specifically addressed meeting these needs. The 20th century has been the era of a death-denying society. Let’s not carry that mistake into the next century. If nurses can be 21stcentury leaders in helping parents who have expected pregnancy outcomes, shouldn’t we also prepare to help those who don’t? Nursing models, based on the mission of meeting parents at the point of their need, already exist for perinatal grief and loss. As nurses, we need to build o n these
J O G N N 455
L E T T E R S
models and play a leadership role in preparing all health-care providers to deal with the grief and loss our future families may experience. In this way, we truly will be “delivering a better patient out-
I
come today than we provided yesterday” (Haller & Lewis, 1994, p.
96). Reference Haller, K., & L e w i s , J. A. (1994). supporting the front l i n e .Journalof 06-
stetric, Gynecologic, and Neoizatal Nursing, 23, 96. Fran Rybarik, RN,MPH Director, RTS Bereavement Services La Crosse, WZ
JOCNN REVIEWERS Rebecca Attenborough, RN, MN Patricia Beachy, RN, MS Cheryl T a t a n o Beck, CNM, DNSc Pamela Butler Beeman. RN, P h D J o a n Rosen Bloch, RNC, MSN Mary C. Brucker, CNM, DNSc J u d i t h A. Carveth, RN, CNM, P h D J u d i t h M. Collinge, RNC, MSc(A), MBA Beth A. Collins, RNC, P h D Kathryn V. Deitch, RNC, P h D Patricia A. Dunn, RNC, MSN Barbara H o r n Frentzen, RN, MSN Catherine Garner, RNC, MSN, MPA Peggy Gordin, RNC, MS
456 J O G N N
J e a n n e T. Grace, RNC, P h D M a u r e e n Heaman, RN, MN Mary Henrikson, RNc, MN, ARNP Pamela D. Hill, RN, P h D Diane Holditch-Davis, RN, P h D Patricia A. J a m e r s o n , RNC, MSN, CCE, CBE S u s a n Dow J o h n s o n , RNC, MSN Pamela L. J o r d a n , RN, P h D Marilyn R o b b i e J o s s e n s , RN, DrPH Margaret H. Kearney, RNC M a u d B. Low, RNC, MSN Vicki A. Lucas, RNC, P h D Lynn E. Lynam. RNC, MS
Volume 23 Number 6
J u d i t h Maloni, RN, PhD Linnea J. Mead, RN, MSN, P N P B a r b a r a Medoff-Cooper, PhD, CRNP, FAAN Paula Meier, RN, DNSc M a r y A n n Miller, RN, P h D S u s a n Nolte, RN, MSN, CRNP Rita H. Pickler, RN, P h D N a n c y Prince, RN, MS D e b o r a h A n n Raines, RNC, P h D J a q u e Repke, RNC, MS S h a r l e e n H. Simpson, PhD, ARNP Susan E. Trippet, RN, DSN N a n H. Troiano, RN, MSN
Bereavement Photographs
I commend Primeau and Recht for their contributory effort, “Professional Bereavement Photographs: One Aspect of a Perinatal Bereavement Program” (January 1994 Solution-Oriented Tberapy JOGNN). There are seldom in print I applaud the publication of “Soluspecific, usable suggestions for ention-Oriented Therapy Techniques hancing the care nurses give famifor Women’s Health Nurses” by lies who experience perinatal loss. Neumann and O’Hanlon Hudson, We in obstetrics focus much of our which appeared in the January time and literary effort on family1994 issue of JOGNN Although my centered care and supporting background is early parent-child healthy delivery outcomes. “How(obstetric) nursing, my concentra- ever, much is still lacking in regard tion during graduate school was in to ensuring sensitive and consismental-health nursing. I was intro- tent follow-upcare from the profesduced to a solution-focused/ori- sional staff after the loss of an infant ented therapeutic practice model due to miscarriage, stillbirth, or while in graduate school. I have neonatal death” (Ilse & Furrh, found that a solution-focused 1988). model fits well with Martha Rogers’ The article on improving the conceptual framework for nursing. quality and esthetic value of beI incorporate both into my prac- reavement photos given to families tice, whether I wear my therapist or provides a lesson in art for the clinmy lactation consultant hat. ical nurse. By utilizing suggestions A solution-focused or oriented for improving the quality of these model is wonderfully positive and pictures, nurses can increase their helps low-functioning as well as confidence and present the family high-functioning clients move for- with “living proof’ that their child ward with amazing speed. Because existed. Photos mean so much to solutions generally are client gen- bereaved parents. erated, with help from the care I was fortunate to have reprovider to move from the general viewed this article just days before to the specific, health-care pro- caring for a couple delivering a viders can delete the derogatory full-term stillborn infant. The positerm “compliance” from their vo- tioning techniques offered in the cabularies. Clients usually imple- article helped me to provide them ment solutions they reach for with a beautiful keepsake portrait. themselves. In addition, self-gen- Nurses as well as bereaved parents erated solutions empower clients to think for and trust in themselves. There are many other easy-to-learn solution-focused techniques that The JOGNN editor welcomes readers’ comments. Address letters were not included in the article. I to the editor, JOG“, 700 14th St., hope to see additional solution-orNW, Suite 600, Washington, DC iented techniques in future issues 20005-2019. All letters should be of JOGNN.
Karen Kerkhoff Gromada, MSN, RN, IBCLC President, Health Education Institute, I n c. Cincinnati, OH
Ju!y/August 1994
typed double-space and signed by the author. Letters will be published at the editor’s discretion, and JOG” reserves the right to edit all letters.
appreciate your sharing articles such as this.
Reference Ilse, S., bz Furrh, C. (1988). Development of a comprehensive follow-up care plan after perinatal and neonatal loss. Journal of Perinatal Nursing, 2, 23-33.
Rosanne Guinta, RN,BSN Perinatal Staff Nurse Palos Community Hospital Palos Heights, IL
Grief and LOSS Congratulations on an outstanding issue of JOGNN (February 1994). In my opinion,JOGNNcontinues to improve year after year, but this issue deserved special mention. I read it twice! The futuristic tone of the clinical issues section was exciting and challenging. The key role that nursing plays in all aspects of health-care reform as well as perinatal and women’s health also is exciting. However, possible gaps in service may occur, and one especially concerns me. Grief and loss definitely will accompany many of the issues identified in the articles on health-care policy, reproductive technologies, and fetal surgery. Yet none of the authors specifically addressed meeting these needs. The 20th century has been the era of a death-denying society. Let’s not carry that mistake into the next century. If nurses can be 21stcentury leaders in helping parents who have expected pregnancy outcomes, shouldn’t we also prepare to help those who don’t? Nursing models, based on the mission of meeting parents at the point of their need, already exist for perinatal grief and loss. As nurses, we need to build o n these
J O G N N 455
L E T T E R S
models and play a leadership role in preparing all health-care providers to deal with the grief and loss our future families may experience. In this way, we truly will be “delivering a better patient out-
I
come today than we provided yesterday” (Haller & Lewis, 1994, p.
96). Reference Haller, K., & L e w i s , J. A. (1994). supporting the front l i n e .Journalof 06-
stetric, Gynecologic, and Neoizatal Nursing, 23, 96. Fran Rybarik, RN,MPH Director, RTS Bereavement Services La Crosse, WZ
JOCNN REVIEWERS Rebecca Attenborough, RN, MN Patricia Beachy, RN, MS Cheryl T a t a n o Beck, CNM, DNSc Pamela Butler Beeman. RN, P h D J o a n Rosen Bloch, RNC, MSN Mary C. Brucker, CNM, DNSc J u d i t h A. Carveth, RN, CNM, P h D J u d i t h M. Collinge, RNC, MSc(A), MBA Beth A. Collins, RNC, P h D Kathryn V. Deitch, RNC, P h D Patricia A. Dunn, RNC, MSN Barbara H o r n Frentzen, RN, MSN Catherine Garner, RNC, MSN, MPA Peggy Gordin, RNC, MS
456 J O G N N
J e a n n e T. Grace, RNC, P h D M a u r e e n Heaman, RN, MN Mary Henrikson, RNc, MN, ARNP Pamela D. Hill, RN, P h D Diane Holditch-Davis, RN, P h D Patricia A. J a m e r s o n , RNC, MSN, CCE, CBE S u s a n Dow J o h n s o n , RNC, MSN Pamela L. J o r d a n , RN, P h D Marilyn R o b b i e J o s s e n s , RN, DrPH Margaret H. Kearney, RNC M a u d B. Low, RNC, MSN Vicki A. Lucas, RNC, P h D Lynn E. Lynam. RNC, MS
Volume 23 Number 6
J u d i t h Maloni, RN, PhD Linnea J. Mead, RN, MSN, P N P B a r b a r a Medoff-Cooper, PhD, CRNP, FAAN Paula Meier, RN, DNSc M a r y A n n Miller, RN, P h D S u s a n Nolte, RN, MSN, CRNP Rita H. Pickler, RN, P h D N a n c y Prince, RN, MS D e b o r a h A n n Raines, RNC, P h D J a q u e Repke, RNC, MS S h a r l e e n H. Simpson, PhD, ARNP Susan E. Trippet, RN, DSN N a n H. Troiano, RN, MSN