Canary Islands Hospital Honored for Transforming Perinatal Grief Care
The University Hospital Complex of the Canary Islands has been honored for its multidisciplinary approach to perinatal and gestational grief, which integrates compassionate clinical protocols and emotional support into standard hospital care.
Treating patients with humanity during their most vulnerable moments is no longer just an ideal; it has become a core strategy for hospital management in Spain. The Official College of Nurses of Santa Cruz de Tenerife recently awarded the Medal of Professional Merit to the Perinatal and Gestational Grief Working Group at the University Hospital Complex of the Canary Islands (HUC). This honor recognizes their successful efforts to transform how the hospital handles pregnancy, childbirth, and neonatal loss.
Presented at the 14th Conference on Innovations in Nursing and the 12th Canary Islands Nursing Congress, the award celebrates five years of multidisciplinary teamwork. The group includes specialists from Mental Health, Obstetrics, Neonatology, Pediatric Palliative Care, Pathological Anatomy, and the Nursing Sub-directorate. Together, they have addressed a vital clinical and ethical need: providing comprehensive support that goes far beyond medical treatment.
The hospital has introduced several practical measures to make the grieving process more dignified. These include a unified clinical protocol that ensures consistent care across all hospital departments and the creation of a private room where families can say goodbye. The team also provides emotional support tools, such as memory boxes and educational materials designed to help children process loss.
The group’s impact also extends to staff training. By participating in "Balint groups," healthcare professionals can better manage the emotional toll of their work, which in turn improves the care they provide to patients. Furthermore, a new pilot project is currently coordinating care with Primary Care services to ensure that families continue to receive support even after they leave the hospital.
This award recognizes more than just technical innovation; it validates a major shift in the public health system. By prioritizing respect and ethics in nursing, the HUC has become a leader in grief care—a field where the quality of support is often the most important factor in a family’s long-term recovery.