As a hospice volunteer
in nursing homes, I worked around certified nursing assistants (CNA's) who
often provided front-line patient care. Many were dedicated to doing good jobs,
even when conditions were stressful. When nursing homes were understaffed,
nursing assistants were glad when I arrived to feed my patients. They usually
had good relationships with residents, and their lives were impacted when
patients died.
Grief can be complicated, having both positive and negative
consequences. For nursing assistants with strong connections with patients, the
death of patients can include negative feelings such as depression, or it can
include beneficial feelings such as growth in their ability to cope
better.
A study reported in Research in Gerontological Nursing that surveyed 380 nursing assistants confirmed that participants experienced
both distress and growth. Those who reported greater distress from grief also
reported higher levels of burnout. In addition, they reported lower levels of
psychological and physical well-being. On the other hand, participants who experienced greater
personal growth from their grief reported “significantly lower levels of
burnout, higher levels of psychological and physical well-being, and higher
levels of job satisfaction.”
Apparently, how nursing assistants respond to grief can be
another indicator of their well-being at the job and a possible factor in how
quality care is impacted. The following video highlights the intimate bond with
patients that many nursing assistants develop that goes far beyond everyday
healthcare tasks:
Frances Shani Parker,
Author
Becoming
Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes is available in paperback at many booksellers and in
e-book form at
Amazon and Barnes and Noble booksellers.
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