Loss, Death, Grief

Question 1

Near death

Answer 1

• patients may be aware of this
• start seeing pulmonary changes
• decrease tone in muscles
• inability to swallow

Question 2

Loss

Answer 2

A state of being without someone or something, to cease to have, deprivation

Question 3

Actual loss

Answer 3

-person can no longer see, feel, touch, smell whatever that object is

Ex: death of a family member, loss of limb, loss of job

Question 4

Perceived loss

Answer 4

• A type of loss that is more subjective

Ex: loss of confidence

Question 5

Loss of possessions/objects

Answer 5

• may be due to theft, destruction, fire, natural disaster

Question 6

Loss of known environment

Answer 6

May be due to confusion or illness

Question 7

Loss of significant other

Answer 7

-death, divorce

Question 8

Loss of aspect to self

Answer 8

May be due to an illness

Question 9

Loss of life

Answer 9

Loss of someone or grieving your own loss

Question 10

Dying

Answer 10

Coming to a close, destined to end, just before death

Question 11

The experience of dying

Answer 11

• individual journey
• mind, body, spirit
• physical dimensions decline
• increased interest in spiritual and interpersonal dimensions

Question 12

Nearing death awareness

Answer 12

• time of transition
• interaction with the dying person: be respectful, still talk to if comatose
• confusion/ vision: don’t correct the patient
• permission to “let go”

Question 13

Signs of imminent death

Answer 13

• altered breathing patterns:Cheyenne strokes
• hypoxia
• altered elimination
• mean gal status changes
• increased sleeping
• restlessness
• circulatory changes
• food/fluid decrease
• in continence

Question 14

Most common final 4 symptoms

Answer 14

• death rattle
• Cheyne-Stokes respirations
• pulslesness of radial artery
• extremity cyanosis

Question 15

Death

Answer 15

Permanent cessation of all vital functions

Question 16

Good death

Answer 16

Free from avoidable distress, and free from suffering, of family members

Question 17

Bad death

Answer 17

Not having ones wishes honored in dying process, isolation, pain

Question 18

Physical signs that death has occurred

Answer 18

• absence of vital signs
• unresponsiveness
• loss of skin turgor/color
• relaxation of sphincter muscles

Question 19

Pronouncement of death

Answer 19

• in MI by MD or RN

Question 20

Nursing care of the body

Answer 20

• send all personal items with the body

- can delegate postmortem care

Question 21

Documentation

Answer 21

• Date, Time of death
• who pronounced
• name of health care provider
• who was notified
• were there any personal artifacts
• time that body was transferred and released and who came to pick them up and where did they go

Question 22

Grief

Answer 22

The emotional response related to a perceived loss

Question 23

Four tasks of grief

Answer 23

• Accept reality of loss
• experience the pain as grief
• adjustment to the world without the lost object
• withdraw emotional energy and invest in other relationships

Question 24

Elizabeth Kubler-Ross stages of dying

Answer 24

Denial
Anger
Bargaining 
Depression
Acceptance

Question 25

Unresponsiveness

Answer 25

• start sleeping more

- become more unresponsive at times