Experience of pediatric nurses in nursing dying children - a qualitative study

PURPOSE: To explore pediatric nurses’ challenges and effective coping strategies in caring for dying children. METHODS: A descriptive qualitative study was adopted. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview with ten nurses from the pediatric, pediatric emergency, and neonatology departments. RESULTS: Three themes were generated: stressors, consequences, and coping strategies. Ten sub-themes were generalized: negative emotions; helplessness; questioning rescue behavior; fear of communication; lack of workforce for night rescue; compassion fatigue; burnout; changes in life attitudes; self-regulation; leadership approval and no accountability. CONCLUSIONS: Through qualitative research, nurses’ challenges and effective coping strategies in caring for dying children were found, which provides information for nurses’ career development and related policy formulation in China. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: While there are many articles in China on hospice care, there is little research on the nurses’ experience of caring for dying children. Many studies have mentioned the adverse consequences of caring for dying children in foreign countries, leading to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, domestic discussion of such problems is rare, and no corresponding coping strategies exist. This study explores pediatric nurses’ challenges and effective coping strategies in caring for dying children. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12912-023-01274-0.