The article "Fetal Demise: Caring for the Parents" (AJN Reports, August) resonated with me on a personal level. I'm an RN and I have suffered multiple miscarriages. Dealing with the loss of what could have been is more difficult than words can describe. The grief process is long and arduous, and takes an emotional toll on the patient and family.

Health care providers often focus on getting the patient back to physical health, but the physical and the mental components of health shouldn't be separated.

It was heartwarming to read about the innovative and thoughtful interventions some hospitals use to comfort these families. Kind words and caring gestures can go a long way in helping a patient cope with this type of loss. Tempering the negative with something positive, such as therapeutic touch, a kind word, and refraining from minimizing the patient's loss, is one way nurses can provide comfort.

Keisha Semelfort, BS, RN

Cambria Heights, NY