Professional caregivers’ bereavement after patients’ deaths: A scoping review of quantitative studies

Abstract

We conducted a scoping review of quantitative studies on professional caregivers’ bereavement after patients’ deaths following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We found 12 studies involving 1317 professional caregivers that met inclusion criteria. Professional caregivers commonly had moderate, and sometimes long-term, bereavement reactions after patients’ death. The evidence of factors affecting profession grief is inconclusive. Previous researchers extensively used the framework of understanding familial bereavement for analyzing the professional caregivers’ bereavement, which we found to be inadequate. We call for a clear definition of professional bereavement and the development of a specific measurement tool.