29 Review Article Perinatal bereavement and palliative care offered throughout the healthcare system Charlotte Wool1, Anita Catlin2 1Department of Nursing, York College of Pennsylvania, York, PA, USA; 2Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa, Santa Rosa, CA, USA Contributions: (I) Conception and design: A Catlin; (II) Administrative support: A Catlin; (III) Provision of study materials or patients: All authors; (IV) Collection and assembly of data: All authors; (V) Data analysis and interpretation: All authors; (VI) Manuscript writing: All authors; (VII) Final approval of manuscript: All authors. Correspondence to: Anita Catlin, DNSc, FNP, CNL, FAAN. Manager of Research, Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa, Santa Rosa, CA, USA. Email:
[email protected]. Abstract: The aims of this article are twofold: (I) provide a general overview of perinatal bereavement services throughout the healthcare system and (II) identify future opportunities to improve bereavement services, including providing resources for the creation of standardized care guidelines, policies and educational opportunities across the healthcare system. Commentary is provided related to maternal child services, the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), prenatal clinics, operating room (OR) and perioperative services, emergency department (ED), ethics, chaplaincy and palliative care services. An integrated system of care increases quality and safety and contributes to patient satisfaction. Physicians, nurses and administrators must encourage pregnancy loss support so that regardless of where in the facility the contact is made, when in the pregnancy the loss occurs, or whatever the conditions contributing to the pregnancy ending, trained caregivers are there to provide bereavement support for the family and palliative symptom management to the fetus born with a life limiting condition.