Informing culturally sensitive neonatal palliative care: Focus on communication
Following on from the first in the series on informing culturally sensitive neonatal palliative care in Infant journal,1 which focused on how bereavement support is provided on neonatal units, this article will focus on how neonatal teams communicate with bereaved parents. Communication underpins every element of neonatal palliative care, with good communication with parents and families at the core of high quality support.2 How information is presented and discussed and the ability to understand and empathise with a variety of cultural practices and beliefs is an important part of bereavement care, applying to the multidisciplinary team antenatally and perinatally.2
Marie ClancySenior Lecturer in Nursing, Academy of Nursing, University of Exeter
Felicity Thomas
Professor in Culture and Health Inequalities, Department of Health and Community Sciences, Wellcome Centre for Cultures and Environments of Health, University of Exeter
Hayley Redman
Research Assistant, Wellcome Centre for Cultures and Environments of Health, University of Exeter
Hannah Fowke Doyle
Practice Development Junior Sister, Neonatal Unit, Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust
Edward Gasiorowski
Consultant Neonatologist and Neonatal Palliative Care Lead, Neonatal Unit, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
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- Neonatal services and neonatal palliative care rely on good communication between families and healthcare professionals.
- Language barriers can produce inequitable care.
- Although interpreters play a vital role in enabling communication with culturally diverse families, there are concerns about whether they are adequately trained, resourced and prepared to work in the neonatal environment.
- Informal interactions can play a critical role in enhancing family wellbeing.
- Staff often adopt innovative and creative strategies to communicate with families when there is a language barrier.
Also published in Infant: