Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Nurses' End-of-Life Care Experience: Becoming a More Empathetic Professional Caregiver

BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined how empathy develops in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) as nurses experience negative outcomes in end-of-life care delivery (eg, burnout, moral conflict, and psychological distress). Various characteristics of neonatal care contribute to frequent infant deaths and nurse emotional strain, rendering knowledge of how empathy evolves essential for improving end-of-life care and NICU nurse well-being nationwide. PURPOSE: To explore the experiences of NICU nurses providing end-of-life care for infants in South Korea, focusing on the impact of recurrent exposure to infant deaths. METHODS: In this qualitative descriptive study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 nurses from a tertiary Level IV NICU in Seoul, South Korea, each with ≥6 months of experience caring for terminally ill infants and having experienced at least 2 infant deaths. Reflective thematic analysis of Braun and Clarke was used for analysis. RESULTS: Three main themes emerged: (1) Providing emotionally detached end-of-life care in the NICU; (2) Developing empathy through end-of-life care; and (3) Becoming a more empathetic professional caregiver. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE AND RESEARCH: Empathy is critical for high-quality neonatal end-of-life care. Structured educational and emotional support is needed to foster empathy and promote compassionate, family-centered practices.