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

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

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

Nurse Education Today

2017

Grief; Perinatal Death; Affective Learning; Artist; Collaborative Artwork; Education Nursing; Female; Humans; Infant Newborn; Ireland; Midwifery/ Education; Midwifery Students; Mothers/psychology; Parents; Perinatal Death; Pregnancy; Students Nursing

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. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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