08 Grief, Loss, and Bereavement Free Online FlashCards

How do loss and grief differ?

Loss is losing someone or something meaningful; grief is the emotional, physical, cognitive, social, and spiritual response to that loss.

What emotional and physical changes can accompany grief?

Grief may involve emotions such as sadness, anger, guilt, relief, numbness, disbelief, or yearning, as well as changes in sleep, appetite, energy, or concentration.

What is the nurse’s role in supporting grief?

Assess needs, offer a steady and respectful presence, support safe coping, and connect the person with additional help when appropriate; do not hurry grief or prescribe feelings.

What areas should a whole-situation grief assessment explore?

Ask about immediate concerns, sleep and eating, daily functioning, support, spiritual or cultural needs, coping strategies, practical needs, and whom the person wants involved.

What should a nurse do when a grieving person may be in immediate danger?

If the person reports suicidal thoughts, cannot maintain immediate safety, or is in acute crisis, stay with them, follow emergency and suicide-risk procedures, and obtain urgent clinical help.

What distinguishes bereavement from mourning?

Bereavement is the period or state following a death. Mourning is the way grief is expressed and shaped by personal, family, cultural, and religious practices.

Can grief occur after a loss other than death?

Grief can follow a serious diagnosis, a change in independence, the end of a relationship, or another major life change—not only a death.

Does grief follow a universal sequence of stages?

No. Commonly described grief stages are not steps everyone experiences or moves through in order; grief has no universal sequence or timetable.

What is anticipatory grief?

Anticipatory grief is grief that begins before an expected loss, such as when a loved one is approaching the end of life.

How can a nurse invite someone to talk about a loss?

Use open questions such as, “What has this loss been like for you?” Listen attentively, allow silence, and do not pressure the person to share.

How should a nurse respond without minimizing grief?

Acknowledge the difficulty with a response such as, “I’m sorry you’re facing this.” Avoid comparisons, platitudes, or instructions like “You need to be strong.”

How can nurses respect cultural and family differences in grief?

Ask which rituals, beliefs, language, privacy, and family roles matter to the person. Do not assume family members grieve or want support in the same way.