| Social loss is a feeling of actual/impending void experienced by family members, significant others, persons in the work place and society in general whenever a contributing member of society approaches or succumbs to death. Social characteristics such as education, family and occupation serve as some of the determiners of social loss.;High social loss persons make significant contributions to family, significant others, the work place and society. These individuals create feelings of grief and ineptness within nurses caring for them; thereby lowering nurses' professionalism. While low social loss persons make minimal to no contributions to family, significant others, the work place and society, their impending loss does not decrease nurses' professionalism.;The purpose of this qualitative study was to provide an understanding of the impact that social loss has on nurses presently caring for terminally ill hospitalized clients in young to middle adulthood, with non-malignant disease entities.;Sixteen nurses, working on two clinical units within a private hospital, were surveyed using a semi-structured interview schedule and social characteristics.;Ethnographic observations were made of subjects while at work. Data gained from these observations focused on the units climate, staff contacts with known terminally ill clients, and staff comments about terminally ill clients' social characteristics, social values, prognoses and nursing care.;Descriptive statistics were used to analyze numerical social loss values and social characteristic rankings assigned by nurses. Constant comparative methodology was used to identify major themes among the data. Finally, triangulation strategies assisted in establishing validity and reliability of the data gained from observations and interviews.;Findings from the study can be used in designing standardized death education curricula for schools of nursing, staff development and long term care facilities. |
