Grief and Coping Strategies Among Hematology-Oncology Nurses: An Integrative Review

Hematology-oncology nurses (HONs) face repeated patient deaths, resulting in a significant emotional burden. This integrative review synthesizes current evidence on grief experiences and coping mechanisms among HONs, highlighting specialty-specific challenges and evidence gaps. A systematic search of CINAHL, PubMed, and Google Scholar (2017–2023) identified 156 studies, with 48 meeting inclusion criteria. Results indicate that HONs experience high levels of grief, secondary traumatic stress, and burnout. Adaptive coping strategies—such as peer support, reflective practices, and spiritual engagement—are associated with reduced stress, whereas maladaptive strategies—including emotional suppression and avoidance— correlate with increased burnout. Organizational support, mentorship, and palliative communication training are critical moderators of grief outcomes. Despite consistent findings, methodological limitations (e.g., small sample sizes, convenience sampling, lack of cultural diversity) limit generalizability. The review underscores the need for evidence-based, institutionally supported interventions and further research integrating longitudinal, cross-cultural, and quantitative analyses. Keywords: nurses, hematology, oncology, emotional burden, coping mechanisms