Death Of A Loved One

This paper examines the implications of grief, bereavement and disenfranchised grief. Grief in response to a loss is a unique experience and is expressed distinctively by every individual. It is helpful to have models that outline the stages of grief that need to be experienced in order to achieve acceptance. However, their utility is limited by the reality that grief is immeasurably complex and individualized. Veterans and children are two groups at risk of developing disenfranchised grief. Therefore, it will be important for nurses to be able to identify those suffering with disenfranchised grief or other forms of maladaptive grief so appropriate intervention may be employed.

Grief counseling is a division of social work that involves the interpersonal aspect of the social worker’s role as expert in coping with death. In this paper I will define grief counseling and some ways to cope with loss. Next I will discuss the history and seven stages of grief. There are two main forms of grievers which are intuitive and instrumental. In addition there are four major types of grief which are acute, anticipatory, sudden and complicated. The helping process is explained as well as some disorders related to grief. A current trend for grievers is to seek involvement in programs such as the Canadian Cancer Society, Missing Children of Canada and Victim Services. These organizations provide counseling services and crisis

One way to help both patients and family members cope with the losses that occur during illness and death are advantage mourning services. In order to provide such service, the nurse previously makes an assessment where she checks the intensity of the affliction, the confrontation

The process model of coping with bereavement identified two types of stressors related to bereavement: “loss-oriented stressors and restoration-oriented stressors. Loss-oriented stressors are essentially those that relate directly to the death and the feelings associated with it. These types of stressors include ruminating on the emotions associated with the deceased, concentrating on how life had been prior to the loss, and focusing on the actual circumstances surrounding the death. Restoration-oriented

Losing a loved one can be very painful, emotional and overwhelming. The difficult part after losing a loved one is learning how to cope with the loss. In order for nurses to help individuals cope with a loss of a loved one it is important for them to understand the grief process. This paper will define and explain the bereavement role, disenfranchised grief, four tasks of mourning and how nurses can help bereaved individuals with these processes.

Death is a universally experienced phenomenon. In the United States alone, over 2.6 million people die each year (Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2015). For practitioners, it is of utmost importance to better understand the process of grief to develop better interventions for bereaved individuals.

Grief and loss are one of the most universal human experiences, though painful, and understandably causes distress. However, approximately 15 % experience a more problematic grieving process with elevated symptoms of depression and/or posttraumatic stress symptoms (Bonanno and Kaltman, 1999).There is no well-established model of the timeline for resolution of grief and the variance of its expression is wide. Many persons cope with the emotional pain of bereavement without any formal intervention. However, individuals who have experienced traumatic bereavement, such as deaths that are sudden, violent, or due to human actions (Green 2000), may face particular challenges. Researchers have tried to define a model for the treatment of traumatic bereavement that fully supports not only the client, but also those working with the clients around their trauma

Disenfranchised grief can affect an individual experiencing loss that is not societally recognized. A term originally described by Kenneth Doka, disenfranchised grief is classically defined by four components, and one specific population subject to experiencing disenfranchised grief is nurses. This is due to the predominant cultural values found in the nursing profession as well as the parameters of the nurse-patient relationship. Knowing that nurses are potentially vulnerable to disenfranchised grief, it is important to discuss the mechanisms to minimize the factors contributing to its occurrence and the consequences of its effects. Awareness of how to help oneself can then be utilized to increase efficacy in the nurse’s position and in aiding patients who are duly experiencing disenfranchised grief.

Grief is the act following the loss of a loved one. While grief and bereavement are normal occurrences, the grief process is a social construct of how someone should behave. The acceptable ways that people grieve change because of this construct. For a time it was not acceptable to grieve; today, however, it is seen as a necessary way to move on from death (Scheid, 2011).The grief process has been described as a multistage event, with each stage lasting for a suggested amount of time to be considered “normal” and reach resolution. The beginning stage of grief is the immediate shock, disbelief, and denial lasting from hours to weeks (Wambach, 1985). The middle stage is the acute mourning phase that can include somatic and emotional turmoil. This stage includes acknowledging the event and processing it on various levels, both mentally and physically. The final stage is a period of

The loss of a loved one is a very crucial time where an individual can experience depression, somatic symptoms, grief, and sadness. What will be discussed throughout this paper is what the bereavement role is and its duration, as well as the definition of disenfranchised grief and who experiences this type of grief. I will also touch upon the four tasks of mourning and how each bereaved individual must accomplish all four tasks before mourning can be finalized. Lastly, with each of these topics, nursing implications will be outlined on how to care for bereaved individuals and their families.

Firstly as human beings we progress through the life course which is very ambiguous in nature. There are various life altering events which can dramatically influence individuals such as becoming a parent for the first time, marriage, divorce, retirement and the death of a parent or a sibling. Additionally the most frequently occurring life changing incident for individuals that range in age from thirty five to sixty years of age was the death of a parent. Henceforth the unfortunate passing of a parent had been a key indicator of individuals entering middle age. This particular study on life altering events that occur in adulthood has multiple strengths and weaknesses. In addition one of the strengths in this professional journal article is that the author provides valid evidence that human being may react differently to various life events. The underlining meaning that each individual attaches to life events can determine what type of reaction that the person may display as they are experiencing the coinciding repercussions of the incident. This can also correlate with the individual’s response regarding the death of a parent and whether the person had formed a close and meaningful relationship with the deceased family member. Additionally I experienced the death of my eighty nine year old grandmother approximately two years ago due to a terminal form of small cell lung cancer. I surmised that because we had formed a close relationship her passing was a difficult

Have you ever had someone that was close to you die? I have had pets that I was close to die, but not someone I saw on weekly bases, until my great grandfather died. Death is something everyone experiences some time in their lifetime and people deal with it in many different ways. In the August of 2016, I was forced to learn how I was going to learn to deal with it.

No one wants to talk about the illness, HIV, in Antigua, where almost everyone who contracts the disease does not survive. In society, talking about death from AIDS occurs rarely, yet bringing attention to the topic will be helpful. The commonality of this disease in the culture makes it almost impossible to avoid its effects. Despite the vast spread of the disease, any person who has contracted the disease will not be able to live a normal life with everyone being aware of their condition. Antiguans considered Jamaica Kincaid’s brother Devon to be an outsider, proven especially by his death and funeral. Her brother 's role in society leaves him separated from others during his life and alone at his funeral. Kincaid considers why her brother acted the way he does and allows herself to think about her feelings for her brother. She compares her brother funeral to the funeral of a young boy who recently died to reveal his position in society and her connection to him.

The article states that mouring and grief are experienced by everyone no matter where one comes from. It also said that mourning is the response to some illness of someone , death of a family member , friend , animal or someone close to an individual .(Axelrod, 1969).

Worden, J. (2009). Grief Counseling and Grief Therapy A Handbook for the Mental Health Practitioner. 4th ed. New York: