Implementation of Perinatal Grief Care: Introduction and Evaluation of Nursing Retreat Program

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K21728
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 58:Society medicine, nursing, and related fields
• Research Institution: St. Luke's International University
• Principal Investigator: HORIUCHI Shigeko 聖路加国際大学, 大学院看護学研究科, 特命教授 (70157056)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 大久保 菜穂子 順天堂大学, スポーツ健康科学部, 准教授 (80317495) ; 島津 明人 慶應義塾大学, 総合政策学部(藤沢), 教授 (80318724) ; 岡田 明子 (蛭田明子) 湘南鎌倉医療大学, 看護学部, 教授 (80584440)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-07-30 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 周産期喪失 / グリーフケア / 共感疲労 / 助産師 / リトリート

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study was to implement a retreat program in perinatal grief care training for midwives and to evaluate how midwives gain confidence in their care and reduce the risk of compassion fatigue. The retreat program was a 2-day program, and evaluations were followed before, after, and every month thereafter for 6 months. There were 26 participants, 88.5% of whom had 2-10 years of clinical experience. As a result, the self-confidence scale for perinatal loss care increased ‘knowledge’、” support skills ” and "self-awareness’. However, ‘organizational support’ was no change observed after the training.
During the 6-month follow-up after the training, a significant increase in clinical practice experience and support skill scores was observed, and a decrease in compassion fatigue scores was observed. Providing opportunities to learn the knowledge and techniques of support skills, and including content to reduce the risk of compassion fatigue, was highly evaluated.

Free Research Field

助産学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

助産師を対象にした周産期グリーフケア研修は、これまで学会や企業等で開催されてきた。しかしながら、グリーフケアに携わる医療職が陥る共感疲労を予防する内容を併せ持つ内容ではなかった。本プログラムは、その点で萌芽的な要素を含んでおり、目的に叶う一定の評価を得たことは学術的意義が認められた。研修後6ヶ月間にわたる追跡は、ケアを実施した事例数や困難を把握するこれまでにない貴重なデータである。臨床経験を重ねることが、知識や技術の自信につながり、同時に共感疲労の軽減への関心も高まることが判明した。しかし支援を支える組織変革については、別のアプローチが必要であることが判明し、次の課題が示された。