Losing a Mother Battling Cancer: Perspectives of an Academic Psychiatric Nurse
Makaleler > Tam Makale · 2025
Yazarlar: Merve UĞURYOL ÜNAL
Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, SCI Expanded İndekslerine Giren Dergi, Uluslararası, Wos, 2025, cilt 32, ss 1091-1096
DOI: 10.1111/jpm.70005
Özet
PURPOSE: This paper aimed to share the subjective experiences of an academic psychiatric nurse who lost her mother to terminal cancer and to reveal the impact of this loss on her professional identity and nursing practices. BACKGROUND: The terminal cancer process affects not only patients but also their family members emotionally. Especially caregiving family members may experience emotional stages similar to the grieving process. Although psychiatric nurses develop emotional resilience through their professional knowledge and skills, they may struggle to balance their professional and personal identities when caring for their relatives. These overlapping roles can deepen the grieving process and directly influence coping mechanisms. METHODS: This study is a first-person narrative based on my personal experiences as a psychiatric nurse caring for a terminally ill parent. KEYPOINT: This narrative offers a unique and profound perspective on the personal grief experience shaped by the intersection of caregiving roles.