Being a parent: Findings from a grounded theory of memory-making in neonatal end-of-life care

Abstract

PURPOSE: Neonatal palliative care guidelines increasingly recommend that parents be encouraged to provide care for their dying baby and to spend time with the before and after death. However, little is currently known about how parents perceive such memory-making interventions. This study explored the significance of memory-making for bereaved parents and the impact of memory-making on parents' experience of neonatal end-of-life care. DESIGN AND METHODS: We conducted extended interviews with 18 parents who had experienced neonatal loss. Corbin and Strauss' grounded theory method was used throughout sampling, data collection and data analysis. A constant comparative approach was utilised thro..