Advanced Training Emphasizing Compassion

Perinatal death through miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth, and newborn death is incredibly devastating to families. Memories of these experiences can make all the difference between a positive or negative grief journey, and comprehensive and compassionate individualized bereavement is the most crucial component of the entire care experience.

With a grant from Hamot Health Foundation, four nurses from Magee-Womens, UPMC Hamot were able to attend the Resolve Through Sharing (RTS) Perinatal Bereavement Coordinator training course last month. RTS is considered the “gold standard” for bereavement education because it provides industry-leading, comprehensive perinatal and neonatal bereavement training to health care professionals. The training will help UPMC Hamot provide outstanding family-centered care to patients and families suffering from perinatal loss.

The group of nurses in attendance has big plans moving forward. Their future goals include training all staff members within Magee-Womens, UPMC Hamot, establishing an interprofessional perinatal bereavement committee, and hosting the hospital’s first annual memorial service for the community.

Magee-Womens, UPMC Hamot also looks forward to strengthening community ties through their growing relationship with Emma’s Footprints, which is a nonprofit organization that helps family members who have suffered a pregnancy or infant loss. They assist families financially, emotionally, and/or spiritually. Both Tracy Dailey, co-founder of Emma’s Footprints, and Amanda Berk, perinatal bereavement coordinator for Emma’s Footprints, were able to attend the RTS training.