DIFFICULTIES FACED BY NURSING IN CARE FOR WOMEN WITH FETAL DEATH

Abstract

The process of death and dying is an imminent fact in human life and is part of the reality of health professionals. Studies indicate that professionals have difficulties in managing and assisting the person who experiences a loss, especially it occurs early in life, as is the case with fetal deaths. The objective of the study was to identify the difficulties of the nursing team in caring for women diagnosed with fetal death. This is qualitative research with a Convergent Care approach, carried out in a maternity hospital in southern Brazil. Data collection took place between November 2014 and May 2015, based on an educational practice with 23 professionals from the nursing team. The analysis followed four steps – apprehension, synthesis, theorization and transference. The results showed that professionals have difficulties coping with fetal loss in motherhood. There are failures in communication between professionals and women, because they do not feel prepared to act in this situation. On the other hand, non-verbal communication through silence, respect for speech timing, a worried look, spontaneity of gestures and affection were pointed out as important strategies for coping with death. Nursing behaviors in the process of giving birth in fetal loss also influence this experience, and the offer

of non-pharmacological methods for pain relief during labor and delivery and individualized comprehensive care is relevant. structural and organizational failures of the institution, which did not ensure the privacy of grieving mothers during care, were pointed out as a hindrance in this context. The study demonstrated that the main difficulties faced by nursing in caring for women who experience fetal death are related to failures in professional training and structural problems of the institution.