Personal characteristics and emotions accompanying nurses and midwives in caring for a newborn with a lethal defect

Abstract

Abstract The aim of this study was to assess how professional experience, workplace setting, and personality traits influence the type and intensity of emotions experienced by nurses and midwives while caring for newborns with lethal congenital anomalies. A quantitative, cross-sectional study was conducted between April and June 2023 in five level II and III referral hospitals located in the Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland. A total of 307 nurses and midwives meeting the inclusion criteria participated in the study. Data were collected using an original questionnaire comprising sociodemographic variables, self-assessed personality traits, and a scale measuring the type and intensity of emotions. Statistical analysis was conducted using Pearson’s and Spearman’s correlation coefficients (α = 0.05). The results indicated that longer professional experience was associated with increased empathy, patience, and sadness, and with decreased anger and emotional detachment. Higher levels of self-reported discomfort and frequent exposure to neonatal death were significantly correlated with intensified experiences of despair, fear, and helplessness. The findings highlight the complexity of emotional responses among perinatal healthcare professionals and underline the need for systemic emotional support and mental health strategies aimed at preventing burnout in emotionally demanding clinical settings.