Att bära det som blir kvar - En kvalitativ studie om hälso- och sjukvårdskuratorers arbete med efterlevande efter barns dödsfall
(2026) SAHS05 20261School of Social Work
- Abstract
- This study aimed to examine and analyze how healthcare social workers in paediatric care describe their experiences of the organizational conditions surrounding their work in connection with child deaths. The study was based on qualitative interviews with eight healthcare social workers employed in different organizations within the Southern Healthcare Region in Sweden. The empirical material was analyzed through thematic analysis and interpreted using theories of professional discretion, professional organizations, and the moral economy of healthcare. The findings show that the work was described as meaningful and professionally important, but also emotionally demanding and organizationally vulnerable. Four central conclusions emerged... (More)
- This study aimed to examine and analyze how healthcare social workers in paediatric care describe their experiences of the organizational conditions surrounding their work in connection with child deaths. The study was based on qualitative interviews with eight healthcare social workers employed in different organizations within the Southern Healthcare Region in Sweden. The empirical material was analyzed through thematic analysis and interpreted using theories of professional discretion, professional organizations, and the moral economy of healthcare. The findings show that the work was described as meaningful and professionally important, but also emotionally demanding and organizationally vulnerable. Four central conclusions emerged from the analysis. First, the vagueness of the healthcare social worker´s role became particularly problematic when the work was most demanding.
Second, social workers often experienced loneliness in the bereavement work, especially when other healthcare professionals withdrew after the child´s death. Third, professional discretion enabled individually adapted support but also placed extensive responsibility on the individual social worker. Fourth, bereavement work was central to families but risked becoming organizationally invisible. The study concludes that healthcare social workers´ emotional burden should not be understood solely as an individual matter, but rather as closely connected to how the organization recognizes, defines, and supports their work with bereaved families. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9230350
- author
- Friman, Magnus LU and Nilsson, Linda LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- SAHS05 20261
- year
- 2026
- type
- H3 - Professional qualifications (4 Years - )
- subject
- keywords
- healthcare social work, paediatric care, child death, bereavement support, organizational conditions
- language
- Swedish
- id
- 9230350
- date added to LUP
- 2026-06-05 13:37:15
- date last changed
- 2026-06-05 13:37:15
@misc{9230350,
abstract = {{This study aimed to examine and analyze how healthcare social workers in paediatric care describe their experiences of the organizational conditions surrounding their work in connection with child deaths. The study was based on qualitative interviews with eight healthcare social workers employed in different organizations within the Southern Healthcare Region in Sweden. The empirical material was analyzed through thematic analysis and interpreted using theories of professional discretion, professional organizations, and the moral economy of healthcare. The findings show that the work was described as meaningful and professionally important, but also emotionally demanding and organizationally vulnerable. Four central conclusions emerged from the analysis. First, the vagueness of the healthcare social worker´s role became particularly problematic when the work was most demanding.
Second, social workers often experienced loneliness in the bereavement work, especially when other healthcare professionals withdrew after the child´s death. Third, professional discretion enabled individually adapted support but also placed extensive responsibility on the individual social worker. Fourth, bereavement work was central to families but risked becoming organizationally invisible. The study concludes that healthcare social workers´ emotional burden should not be understood solely as an individual matter, but rather as closely connected to how the organization recognizes, defines, and supports their work with bereaved families.}},
author = {{Friman, Magnus and Nilsson, Linda}},
language = {{swe}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Att bära det som blir kvar - En kvalitativ studie om hälso- och sjukvårdskuratorers arbete med efterlevande efter barns dödsfall}},
year = {{2026}},
}