Category:
RN Professional
City:
Jackson
State:
Tennessee
Shift:
8 - Day (United States of America)
Job Description Summary:
Under the supervision of the Administrative Director of the West Tennessee Women’s Center, this position serves as a Perinatal and Pediatric Bereavement Nurse. Employee is responsible for providing support to families experiencing the loss of a baby or child – from miscarriage and stillbirth to neonatal and pediatric deaths. This nurse collaborates across multiple departments, including Labor & Delivery, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Pediatrics, Same Day Surgery and the Emergency Department. This nurse works to ensure families receive trauma-informed, culturally sensitive, and emotionally supportive care.
Position includes on-call responsibilities as required by the hospital.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
Family Centered Bereavement Care:
Initial Family Support
Serves as the initial point of contact for families experiencing or anticipating a fetal or neonatal death, providing immediate support and guidance
- Provide bedside emotional and psychological support to families experiencing
- Miscarriage or stillbirth
- Neonatal death
- Pediatric Death
- Community Referral of any of the above
- Assist families in memory-making, including photographs, keepsakes, and hand/footprints.
- Guide families through difficult decisions including end-of-life options, funeral planning, and provide postpartum bereavement care after discharge from hospital. Coordinates with funeral homes and community social service agencies to assist bereaved families with funeral planning and related services.
- Advocate and uphold patient wish regarding privacy, cultural practices, and religious/spiritual needs.
Emergency and Critical Care Response:
- Respond to pediatric deaths in the Emergency Room, offering grief support.
- Assist ER staff in delivering death notifications to families with compassion and clarity.
- Support NICU families in end-of-life decisions, withdrawal of care, and bereavement care.
- Collaborate with other disciplines, including physicians, social workers, chaplains, child-life specialists, and other team members to ensure cohesive, compassionate care
- Coordinate referrals to grief counseling, support groups, or additional perinatal/pediatric bereavement resources.
Staff Education and Support:
- Educate staff on best practices and standard of care in perinatal and pediatric bereavement care, including trauma-informed language and appropriate communication techniques.
- Assist pastoral care with debriefing opportunities and emotional support for staff following emotionally, difficult deaths.
- Lead training and in-service education sessions related to family support and bereavement standards of care.
Program Development and Quality Improvement:
Contribute to the growth and improvement of the bereavement support program. Develop and maintain resources such as bereavement kits, memory boxes, and support materials.
On-Call Availability :
- Provides 24/7 on-call consultation and clinical documentation as needed.
JOB SPECIFICATIONS:
EDUCATION:
- RN required, BSN in related field preferred.
LICENSURE, REGISTRATION, CERTIFICATION:
- Current licensure as a Registered Nurse as approved by the Tennessee Board of nursing for practice in the state of Tennessee.
- Completion of the Butterfly’s Embrace Perinatal/Pediatric Bereavement Curriculum.
EXPERIENCE:
- Minimum 2-3 years of experience in NICU, Pediatrics, Labor & Delivery, and/or Emergency Care.
- Experience in trauma care, palliative care, or bereavement support settings preferred.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
- Ability to support families in crisis with calm, loving, and compassionate care.
- Training in crisis intervention, trauma-informed care, and/or grief counselling.
NONDISCRIMINATION NOTICE STATEMENT
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, disability, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, sexual orientation, age, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
