Barry, M,Quinn, C,Bradshaw, C,Noonan, M,Brett, M,Atkinson, S,New, C

2017

January

Nurse education today

Exploring perinatal death with midwifery students' using a collaborative art project

Published

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Perinatal death Midwifery students Collaborative artwork Affective learning Parents Artist QUALITATIVE DESCRIPTION NURSES EXPERIENCES STILLBIRTH MIDWIVES GRIEF

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6

Objective: To explore the influence of the Amulet artwork and exhibition on midwifery students' perceptions of caring for parents experiencing perinatal death.Design: A descriptive qualitative design involving face-to-face semi-structured interviews following institutional ethical approval.Setting: A regional Maternity Hospital in Ireland which hosted the National Artwork and Exhibition exploring the hidden world of infant death.Participants: A purposive sample of six consenting post registration midwifery students who had attended the Amulet artwork and exhibition.Findings: Four core themes emerged and these were i) entering the mother's world and hearing her pain; ii) the journey of grief and connecting with the bereaved parent's unique experience; iii) facing the challenge of providing effective perinatal bereavement care; and iv) maintaining a journey of compassionate practice.Conclusion and implications for practice: Exposure to, and reflection on the Amulet artwork and exhibition increased students' awareness and insight into the non-linear nature of the grieving process, and to the importance of maintaining a journey of compassionate care for parents experiencing perinatal death. The findings suggest that the use of creative women-centered strategies promote affective learning in relation to perinatal death and so may be of use to educators and maternity care providers. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

10.1016/j.nedt.2016.09.004