New bereavement care website for nurses in Scotland

NHS Education for Scotland has published a set of resources to help nurses and other healthcare professionals deal with death and bereavement.

The educational resources include video animations, a website and information posters. One video, which features the voices of child actors, aims to help staff care for bereaved children.

It says the potential discomfort of discussing the issue of dying is not only in the patient’s mind but is also likely to be in the minds of the professionals looking after them.

Anxiety

NHS Education for Scotland chief executive Caroline Lamb said: ‘While some specialists may deal with death and bereavement almost on a daily basis, many professionals will encounter bereavement very rarely in their careers, particularly unexpected deaths.

‘This can lead to anxiety and stress, not being able to find the right words to say or even knowing where to turn to for support. These bite-size animations and additional support will reduce the fear of the unknown and lead to greater and better support for Scotland’s NHS workforce and those they are caring for.’

Further information

NHS Education for Scotland’s support around death