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Focusing on workplace supports and staff training at the European Grief Conference 2024
Professor Keelin O’Donoghue and Marita Hennessy PhD recently attended and presented at the European Grief Conference in Dublin. Marita gave an oral presentation on how we can we better support people who experience pregnancy loss under 24 weeks in the workplace, on behalf of the PLACES project team.
She also presented posters relating to perinatal bereavement education and training: a scoping review of international literature and resources led by Sinead Harkin, Health Research Board Summer Scholar, and a mapping study of education and training provision in Ireland which she led. Both studies were conducted with the support of the National Women and Infants Programme as part of the implementation of the National Standards for Bereavements Care following Pregnancy Loss and Perinatal Death.
The conference was attended by over 400 people, consisting of researchers, practitioners, and educators from various disciplines and practice sectors. We have lots of learning and interesting conversations to reflect on after the two days. It was great to see much pregnancy loss-related work presented also, by a range of people, including Dr Áine Aventin (Queen’s University Belfast), Brenda Casey (National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street), Ann Doherty (Mayo University Hospital), Claire Flahavan (National Maternity Hospital), Kathleen Massmann (Healing Moments Counseling, Minnesota) and Trine Giving Kalstad (University of Bergen). We must also thank Dominic Campbell, Arts and Cultural Engagement Manager at the Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF), for showcasing ‘Why my baby died’ during his opening conference plenary titled ‘Sense-Making?: Knowledge making in grief through a national Arts and Cultural Engagement programme’.
The IHF hosted the conference in partnership with the Bereavement Network Europe (BNE), RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences and the Danish National Center for Grief. Many thanks to all involved for their work in making the event such a success. In particular, we would like to thank Orla Keegan (Director of Bereavement and Education), Dr Amanda Roberts (Bereavement Development Manager) and all of the team at the IHF.
PLRG presentations at EGC2024
| Title | Authors |
|---|---|
| How can we better support people who experience pregnancy loss <24 weeks in the workplace? Insights from a mixed-methods study conducted in the Republic of Ireland [Oral] | Ruadh Kelly-Harrington, Marita Hennessy*, Sara Leitao, Maeve O’Sullivan, Caroline Dalton-O’Connor, Mary Donnelly, Claire Murray, Daniel Nuzum, Keelin O’Donoghue |
| Staff education and training interventions regarding pregnancy loss and perinatal death bereavement care: A scoping review [Poster] | Sinead Harkin, Keelin O'Donoghue, Marita Hennessy* |
| Education and training opportunities on bereavement care for perinatal loss for maternity staff in the Republic of Ireland: A mapping study [Poster] | Marita Hennessy*, Keelin O'Donoghue |
More information
The European Grief Conference took place at Croke Park, Dublin from 11-13 November 2024. The theme of this year’s conference was ‘Bereavement and Grief: Responding to need and building collaborative networks’. The event was structured around a four-tiered needs-based bereavement care model and showcased a variety of research, education/policy and practice initiatives on bereavement and grief-related topics.
The European Grief Conference brings together researchers, practitioners, and educators to learn, share and feel inspired to collaborate around the development and implementation of effective and culturally sensitive bereavement care responses across Europe.
The Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF) is a national charity that addresses dying, death and bereavement in Ireland. Its vision is an Ireland where people facing end of life or bereavement, and those who care for them, are provided with the care and support that they need. The PLRG collaborates with the IHF on the Pregnancy and Infant Loss Ireland Website: www.pregnancyandinfantloss.ie.
‘Why my baby died’ is a collaboration between the Pregnancy Loss Research Group and Amy Lauren, illustrator. This graphic narrative, based on research led by Dr Änne Helps, provides important, actionable insights – to clinicians, policymakers and other knowledge users – into what is needed to meaningfully involve bereaved parents in perinatal death review processes. ‘Why my baby died’ was funded through an Irish Hospice Foundation Seeds Grant, supported by Creative Ireland.
Marita Hennessy presenting posters at EGC2024