“There is nothing more normal than grief. We all experience loss in life,” said Kathie Burridge Barnard, LICSW, CEAP, (pictured, right) who provides grief counseling at BWH through the Partners Employee Assistance Program (EAP). “But no one in grief feels normal. Personal losses at work are often overwhelming and disorganizing.”
Nurses are especially vulnerable to loss, particularly when they’ve had a special or long-term connection with a patient. “We need to care for ourselves while we care for our patients,” said Barnard. “The more experienced the nurse, the more losses he or she has sustained, which makes grief even more complicated. It becomes more crucial to make meaning out of who we are at work and our lives overall.”
Keeping a “stiff upper lip” and trying to control our feelings will not make them disappear, she explained. Unexpressed or displaced emotions can result in physical and emotional problems, leading to workplace tensions and productivity issues that affect the care of other patients.
EAP counselors are available to support staff who have suffered loss or are struggling with other problems in life. “Our programs are broad enough that people don’t need to know what’s wrong to come in. They simply need to know that something is wrong,” said Barnard. Other counselors with offices at BWH include Richard Chester, LICSW, CEAP, (pictured, left) and Robin Ungerleider, LICSW (pictured, middle). The Partners-based service at BWH and Massachusetts General Hospital is directed by Andrea Stidsen, LICSW, BCD, CEAP.
Services include confidential individual consultation, short-term counseling and referral to discuss issues affecting the staff member’s personal or professional life, for example, a family member who is terminally ill, the accidental death of a beloved friend, drug or alcohol addiction, domestic violence or financial strains.
The EAP also assists groups, such as a nursing unit that has experienced the sudden death of a coworker or a series of unexpected patient losses that has set the unit into a tailspin. The counselors respond to the immediate crisis, then return for follow-up sessions to help sort through the grieving and healing process.
“Sadness is a powerful and enduring emotion,” said Barnard. “Yet in today’s society, sadness is often regarded as an unacceptable sign of fragility or vulnerability, which is exacerbated by the fast-paced and cure-oriented environment of health care.”
To meet with an EAP counselor individually or as a group, please call (617) 732-6017. Publications and other resources also are available at the EAP office, located in the Neville House, 10 Vining Street, Room 128.
Value of group counseling for grief and loss
• Develops team building
• Gives permission to grieve at work, a process that already occurs
• Creates an understanding that grief takes many forms; there is no right or wrong way to grieve
• Creates an environment that encourages self-care
• Enhances communication and fosters independence
• Helps work groups cope with future losses
• Communicates concern for staff; improves morale and loyalty
• Allows a forum for expression and problem-solving