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Table 2 Emergent themes and Super-ordinate themes

From: Dealing with the death of a long term patient; what is the impact and how do podiatrists cope?

Emergent themes

Super-ordinate themes

• Podiatrists being embedded in patient lives

• Building of relationships

• The ripple effect onto staff when someone dies

• The additional stress of managing family members of the patient who has died

• Emotionally invested due to the ongoing continuity of care

• Often in a position to listen and understand a patients personal lives and belief/values

• Links to your own personal life

• Deep professional relationship not always recognised by others

Acknowledging Connections

• Need to find the right listener

• Important to have a support mechanism

• Debriefing with people who understand the context

• Importance of being open to seeking to help

• Understanding that everyone has their own process of grieving

• Having a supportive workplace

• Recognising the emotional impact

• Devaluing the impact because it is work related

Willing to share and listen

• Increasing general discussion on the topic

• Greater opportunity to have formal training on understanding the impact

• Empowering practitioners with knowledge on how to support themselves

• Increasing emotional awareness through effective strategies

• Recognising the emotional impact within the podiatry progression

• Better training for students

Creating support through starting the conversation