Abstract
The paper ‘Encountering patients in grief due to the death of a loved one: nurses’ experiences in municipal home care’ by Larsson et al. (2026) addresses a phenomenon in nursing practice that is well known yet seldom analysed: the encounter of the nurse with the grief of patients cared for in their homes. Although the death of a loved one can be considered an internationally accepted deep experience in life, its effects can be especially severe in the case of people who are already suffering from disease or disability. In community care environments, nurses often play a special role as healthcare providers who are close to these experiences and respond to them.
The research relies on qualitative interviews and focus groups of registered nurses who provide municipal home care in Sweden. Using reflexive thematic analysis the authors identify how nurses identify grief in patients and how they manage the experience in their daily practice. The findings are organised around three themes: awareness of worsening health linked to grief, a sense of responsibility in listening to patients’ memories, and experiences of loss and dealing with personal emotional reactions and the realisation of increased competence in dealing with grief.
These results point to the relational aspect of nursing practice. Grief rarely manifests in a consistent way, and nurses often notice it by observing minor changes in patients’ emotional and behavioural states or their physical health. The signs in some patients are overt sadness, and others have exhibited withdrawal, lack of motivation or disinterest in day-to-day activities. These observations are part of the overall evidence that bereavement may have an impact on psychological and physical outcomes of health, especially in older adults or individuals with a history of health conditions (Taylor, 2025). In the cases of patients who are undergoing home care, the demise of a partner or someone close may also interfere with the established support systems that they had before to cope with the illness or disability.
Another strong point of the study is the description of daily situations in which nurse’s encounter grief. Participants report that loss is often discussed during everyday care, such as administering medication or performing wound care. In such moments, the nursing role goes beyond the clinical activity to the act of listening to the patient and being present to their feelings. It aligns, with person-centred nursing principles, as the focus of good care should be the identification of individuals’ experiences, values and life circumstances (Lee et al., 2024). Nevertheless, one of the challenges of the nursing practice is also outlined in the study. Even though nurses are frequently preoccupied with a sense of responsibility to help grieving patients, most are confused about how to act effectively. Participants report having hesitation in the decision of starting a conversation about loss or responding to a patient who has painful memories. Such doubt is indicative of a wider problem in healthcare, where a significant number of nurses cite a lack of preparation in bereavement communication, even though they recognise its significance (Takeuchi et al., 2022).
The emotional labour of nursing work is also a focus within the research. The personal responses that listening to accounts of loss by patients may create can be very strong, especially when the nurses are themselves victims of loss. Being able to control these feelings while remaining professional is a significant, often unseen part of nursing care. It is proposed that repeated exposure to patients’ suffering can lead to emotional strain among nurses; therefore, it is necessary to implement supportive work conditions to address these stresses (Mir et al., 2024; Qiao et al., 2025). In the absence of appropriate support, the cumulative emotional effects of caregiving can lead to stress, burnout or compassion fatigue.
In practice, there are critical questions in the paper about how healthcare systems equip nurses to support bereaved patients. Participants’ insights indicate that empathy and compassion, though indispensable, may not be sufficient on all occasions when addressing a complex emotional experience like grief. Communication skills, reflective practice and education on grief awareness can help nurses feel more comfortable when having such conversations. Conditions within organisations that allow meaningful interaction with patients are also essential.
This is especially challenging in home care settings. Nurses are often under a lot of time pressure as they juggle multiple clinical duties. Opportunities to have protracted conversations in those environments may be few. However, the paper points out that even very short interactions can work when patients feel that they are actually listened to. Promoting relational care consequently involves personal communication skills combined with institutional recognition that emotional support is an essential element of care.
The findings can be applicable to various groups in the healthcare system. In the case of practicing nurses, the authors of the study have highlighted the importance of identifying hidden signs of grief and responding to them openly and sensitively. To teachers, it reinforces the idea that bereavement communication and emotional awareness should be taught and developed in nursing and professional training programmes. The research also challenges healthcare leaders and policymakers to design human-conducive work settings in which nurses can take time to reflect on experiences that may be emotionally challenging and have collegial support.
In general, the research is contributing to a broader perspective on community and home care in nursing practice. With healthcare systems increasingly focused on care at home, patients undergoing complex life transitions illness, loss and social change are likely to be seen by nurses. It is therefore crucial to acknowledge grief as a contributor to patients’ well-being and to be able to provide genuine person-centred care. Through these simple yet significant moments, the paper illustrates how listening and presence help grieving patients, whilst recognising the emotional realities of this for the nurse as a person.
