Deep Dive
Survey Results: 2026 State of Bereavement Care
This week, we’re finally sharing the results from our State of Bereavement Care survey.
Hundreds of you took time between admits, triages, and charting to tell us what’s really happening on your units.
What stood out to me most was the gap between how much heart you’re bringing to bereavement care and how little structure and support many hospitals are giving you.
Debriefing is inconsistent, training is often minimal, and yet you’re still finding ways to create beautiful memories and long-term touchpoints for families.
Over the next few sections, I’m going to walk you through what you shared—where units are doing well, where the cracks are, and small, realistic changes that could move the needle on your unit without waiting for a full policy overhaul.
Let’s dive in!
Side note: Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe to our free weekly bereavement education here.
YAY! these results are fantastic! We’ve come a loooong way for cooling units
What nurses shared about memorial events
The most meaningful memorial events you described were simple, family-centered, and intentional.
They helped families feel remembered long after discharge.
Personalized memorial gatherings (64.7%)
Keepsakes and memory items (8.8%)
Inviting the whole family into the experience (8.8%)
My favorite answers:
Planting flowers in memory, gifts, laying of flowers at memorial site, balloon release, poems and song
Butterfly release with potting plants and bubble station. Wave of light in December on same day as child remembrance Compassionate Friends event.
We have a Little Wings Communal Burial Service twice a year. It is for early fetal loss (less than 20 weeks). Chaplain gives the service and two Labor and Delivery nurses are present.
What nurses said their unit does really well
The strongest answers focused on consistency, compassion, and having a clear plan.
The units that stood out weren’t always the most resourced, but they were often the most intentional.
Memory making and keepsakes (13.5%)
Follow-up and continuing support (10.8%)
Dedicated bereavement nurses or champions (8.1%)
My favorite answers:
Be truly present for them and accomodate their needs.
Some of the nurses who are passionate in this work do such great work making memory boxes and take home items (such as molds and photos) of the baby.
Yearly Butterfly release. Care depends on what nurse is working at that particular time.
Closing thoughts
Reading through your answers, I kept thinking: you are already doing so much with so little.
You’re building memory boxes on night shift, improvising follow-up when there’s no formal plan, and showing up for families long after the chart is closed.
My hope is that this survey doesn’t just live as “interesting data,” but gives you language and numbers you can take to leadership.
The research is clear that structured bereavement care and debriefing matter, and your responses show exactly where the gaps are on the ground.
If there’s one thing I want you to take from this, it’s that your voice is data too.
Every time you advocate for dedicated time, clearer workflows, or better training, you’re not “being difficult”—you’re asking for the bare minimum support to do an incredibly hard job well.
Please forward this email to anyone who has influence in bereavement care.
What did you think of the Survey?
We would love to hear your thoughts and opinions on today’s newsletter! Your feedback is incredibly valuable to us, and we make sure to read every single reply we receive. Simply reply to this email.
That’s a Wrap!
Before you go: Here are ways we can help your hospital
We offer bereavement boxes to give as gifts to those who leave the hospital after a miscarriage, stillborn, or infant death. Reply to this email and reach out if you’re interested in receiving a bereavement box to try out for your unit.
What we prioritize:
Tools for hospitals to create a bereavement experience for families to begin their grief journey
Educating nurses with modern bereavement standards and continuing education.
Helping hospitals build a foundation of trust and support, so bereaved families feel seen and cared for—now and in the years to come.
These boxes were born out of our own personal losses, including Jay’s (CEO) 15 years of experience working in labor and delivery as a CRNA and witnessing time and again how the hospital experience can profoundly shape a family’s grief journey, for better or for worse.
Until next week,
Trina and Jay
Co-founders of Forget Me Not
