ENFERMEIRO DE FAMÍLIA NO SUPORTE AO CASAL ENLUTADO PELA PERDA DE UM FILHO: SCOPING REVIEW

Abstract

Introduction: Nurses' intervention in the process of parental grief within primary healthcare reflects a fundamental health need, supporting couples in the experience of transition following the death of a child. It is crucial to value the functional and emotional balance of the family, as well as the grieving experience and associated feelings. Goals: To map the scientific evidence on nursing interventions within primary healthcare aimed at couples grieving the death of a child. Methods: A Scoping Review conducted following the PRISMA-ScR methodology and PCC mnemonic: population, concept, and context. Searches were performed in PubMed, CINAHL Complete, B-On, Science Direct, and RCAAP databases. Studies published in Portuguese, Spanish, and English from 2018 to 2023 were included. Identified studies were organized using Rayyan®, and their relevance was analyzed by two independent reviewers. Out of 1021 available articles, seven were included in the review. Results: Four themes emerged from the analysis: grief manifestations (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance); attitudes and behaviors promoting adaptive grief (religion, rituals, end-of-life care at home, redefining life goals, time occupation, self-care); obstacles to adaptive grief (insufficient professional support and behaviors of others); and support networks for parental grief (formal and informal). Final considerations: The grief experiences of couples allowed mapping of Family Health Nursing interventions aimed at couples grieving the death of a child, highlighting their priority, as well as the need for professional training in this area.