After Maternal Death: How Maternity Nurses Recover from the Event
Faculty Department
Nursing
Presentation Type
Powerpoint
Location
Reception Room
Start Date
25-2-2026 4:15 PM
End Date
25-2-2026 4:30 PM
Description (Abstract)
The purpose of this qualitative study was to further examine the experience of obstetric nurses involved in the care of a woman who died in pregnancy or following childbirth that was reported in a previous mixed methods study. Obstetric nurses work in an area where happiness abounds as families welcome the birth of an infant and may be vulnerable to the adverse effects of dealing with negative outcomes that occur less often. Results from the previous study identified nearly half of the nurses caring for women who died in childbirth developed secondary traumatic stress and many reported having enduring bad memories that may affect them professionally and personally for years following the event.
In the previous study, data were collected using an electronic survey sent to members of the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) who identified as labor and delivery or postpartum nurses; those who were involved in the care of a maternity patient who died were eligible to participate. The anonymous survey included quantitative items to measure secondary traumatic stress, burnout and compassion satisfaction, demographic questions, and three open-ended questions with text boxes to collect narrative responses. Several themes emerged from the narratives about the impact of the experience of maternal death on the nurses and their recovery from the event. These included Chaotic and Bloody, Like a War Zone, Traumatic and Distressing Experiences with Enduring Bad Memories, Guilt and Fear of Litigation, Preventable or Not, Institutional Support, Private Support, Positive Coping Mechanisms, and Negative Coping Mechanisms.
On the separate, final page of the survey participants were asked to provide their email if they were willing to be interviewed. Those who responded affirmatively were contacted and an interview was arranged using video conferencing to further explore their perception of the assistance and resources they utilized after the experience of the maternal death. The twelve nurses who were interviewed reported a benefit of the assistance and support they received after the event. It is interesting to note that the negative view of the assistance provided that was described in the written narrative was not included in the remote face to face interviews. This may reflect that nurses may hesitate to share their true feelings when not reporting anonymously, which may stem from their own expectations to appear strong or concern of the potential impact on their career. This research highlights that more research is needed to better understand this phenomenon so effective strategies can be developed to support the health and well -being of nurses.
Keywords
obstetric nurse, maternal death, secondary traumatic stress, nurses' support' self-care.
Related Pillar(s)
Spirituality
After Maternal Death: How Maternity Nurses Recover from the Event
Reception Room
The purpose of this qualitative study was to further examine the experience of obstetric nurses involved in the care of a woman who died in pregnancy or following childbirth that was reported in a previous mixed methods study. Obstetric nurses work in an area where happiness abounds as families welcome the birth of an infant and may be vulnerable to the adverse effects of dealing with negative outcomes that occur less often. Results from the previous study identified nearly half of the nurses caring for women who died in childbirth developed secondary traumatic stress and many reported having enduring bad memories that may affect them professionally and personally for years following the event.
In the previous study, data were collected using an electronic survey sent to members of the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) who identified as labor and delivery or postpartum nurses; those who were involved in the care of a maternity patient who died were eligible to participate. The anonymous survey included quantitative items to measure secondary traumatic stress, burnout and compassion satisfaction, demographic questions, and three open-ended questions with text boxes to collect narrative responses. Several themes emerged from the narratives about the impact of the experience of maternal death on the nurses and their recovery from the event. These included Chaotic and Bloody, Like a War Zone, Traumatic and Distressing Experiences with Enduring Bad Memories, Guilt and Fear of Litigation, Preventable or Not, Institutional Support, Private Support, Positive Coping Mechanisms, and Negative Coping Mechanisms.
On the separate, final page of the survey participants were asked to provide their email if they were willing to be interviewed. Those who responded affirmatively were contacted and an interview was arranged using video conferencing to further explore their perception of the assistance and resources they utilized after the experience of the maternal death. The twelve nurses who were interviewed reported a benefit of the assistance and support they received after the event. It is interesting to note that the negative view of the assistance provided that was described in the written narrative was not included in the remote face to face interviews. This may reflect that nurses may hesitate to share their true feelings when not reporting anonymously, which may stem from their own expectations to appear strong or concern of the potential impact on their career. This research highlights that more research is needed to better understand this phenomenon so effective strategies can be developed to support the health and well -being of nurses.
Short Biography
Dr. Ann Marie Paraszczuk is a Professor in the Barbara H. Hagan School of Nursing and Health Sciences at Molloy University and teaches courses in the baccalaureate, masters and doctoral programs that focus on Maternal-Child Nursing, and nursing research and education. She helped revise and obtain approval for the Master’s program in Nursing Education Program which was launched in 2021 and served as the coordinator for that program until August 2025. She continues RN practice at NYU Langone Hospital-Long Island. As a researcher for over 15 years, she has completed studies in Maternal-Child Nursing, Family-centered Care, breastfeeding and nursing education. She has presented at conferences both nationally and internationally and has published her work.