The consequences of the coronavirús pandemic and mourning in nursing

Abstract

Objective: to describe the main consequences of the coronavirus pandemic for the health of nursing professionals, specifically in view of the grief that many are experiencing during deaths due to the Covid-19 contagions. We also sought to address nursing's perception of death and dying during the Covid-19 pandemic. Method: This is a narrative review with a qualitative research approach. The search for articles was performed in the Virtual Health Library (VHL) in the Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences (LILACS), Latin American and Caribbean Center on Health Sciences Information (BIREME) and databases. Scientific Electronic Library Online (SCIELO), published between 2018 and 2021 in Portuguese and English. Results: The mourning process is unique and evolves according to the characteristics of mourning and the circumstances of death that are increasingly common in hospitals. There are many difficulties in dealing with grief during a pandemic. Conclusion: Nurses during the Covid-19 pandemic experience in their daily work, countless tensions due to deaths and the dangers of contagion in which they daily witness. Grief is something that needs to be seen as a circumstantial moment that deserves all care and adequate care, preserving the integral health of health professionals and bereaved family members