Online Advanced Release
Death in the Nursing Home: An Examination of Grief and Well-Being in Nursing Assistants

Research in Gerontological Nursing 

By Keith A. Anderson, PhD; Heidi H. Ewen, PhD

Received: July 17, 2009; Accepted: March 22, 2010; Posted: July 30, 2010

The grief that nurses experience when patients and residents die can be complex and has been linked to both problematic (e.g., depression) and beneficial (e.g., gains in coping) outcomes. In this study, 380 nursing assistants working in the nursing home setting were surveyed to gain an understanding of the relationship between grief and well-being. Findings indicated that participants experienced both distress and growth in their grief. Those who experienced greater distress from grief reported significantly higher levels of burnout and lower levels of psychological and physical well-being. Conversely, participants who experienced greater growth from their grief reported significantly lower levels of burnout, higher levels of psychological and physical well-being, and higher levels of job satisfaction. These findings suggest that grief may be an important determinant of well-being in nursing assistants, which, in turn, may impact quality of care in the nursing home.

doi:10.3928/19404921-20100702-01