Joint CSUMB, Samuel Merritt study looks at bereavement support

A new study by researchers at CSU Monterey Bay in cooperation with Samuel Merritt University examining the practices of healthcare professionals when it comes to bereavement support will be presented Thursday, Sept. 28, as part of the Nursing Grand Rounds Lunch & Learn WebEx. 

Co-author Alyssa Erikson is a professor and chair of the CSUMB Nursing Department. She said the study was funded through a $30,000 internal faculty incentive grant from Samuel Merritt. Other report authors include Jeneva Gularte-Rinaldo and Jennifer McAdam of Samuel Merritt, and Steven Kim of CSUMB.  

Experiencing the death of a loved one is a distressing event for many families. Bereavement support is strongly recommended by critical care organizations to promote high-quality, end-of-life care. However, many healthcare professionals do not routinely follow up with bereaved families.

The study expands on healthcare professionals’ views and practices on bereavement support which may help such workers and agencies improve and extend bereavement care to grieving families, the study said.

Those interested in attending the event should contact Erikson.