Management of relatives of patients who are dying

Abstract

• Previous research in a retrospective community-based study suggested that some relatives had difficulty coping with their bereavement when the pre-bereavement period had not been managed well. • This prospective study in a hospital setting explored the issues further to include the views and needs of staff as well as relatives. • Staff were interviewed in focus groups and relatives were interviewed individually. • Analysis of data was qualitative using thematic analysis. • Findings demonstrated that staff often felt ill-equipped for providing support for relatives when a patient is dying. • Training is required to help nurses support and care for the relatives of dying patients. © 2002 Blackwell Science Ltd.