A qualitative phenomenological study of nurses' experiences in caring for infants and children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions

Purpose: To understand the experience of nurses caring for infants and children with life limiting and life-threatening conditions. Design and Methods. A qualitative phenomenological study was conducted, collecting data through deep interviews. Sample included twenty-seven nurses working in paediatric and neonatal intensive care units. Results: Four themes emerged: suffering, being there, protect yourself and support. The experience of caring for children with limiting and life-threatening conditions affects nurses positively, with personal and professional gratification, but also negatively, as it leads to the development of compartmentalization, avoidance, and high levels of stress. Conclusions: The organization should make resources available to help nurses build resilience, improve emotional intelligence, and process experiences and emotions, thereby bringing benefits and improvements in infant and childcare. Practice implications: Comparison between colleagues is one of the most effective tools for supporting each other. Dedicated times and spaces to be able to carry out the debriefings managed by the nurses themselves, guided and mediated by an expert figure, such as a psychologist or a trainer, would be recommended.