Question 1

Which is the most accurate description of the nursing diagnosis of dysfunctional grieving?

Accepted Answer

A)  Inability to form a valid appraisal of a loss and failure to use available resources
B)  The experience of distress, accompanying sadness which fails to follow norms
C)  A perceived lack of control over a current situation involving loss
D)  Aloneness perceived as imposed by others and as a negative or threatening state B

Question 2

A nurse assigns a client the nursing diagnosis of complicated grieving. According to Bowlby, which long-term outcome would be most appropriate for this client's problem?

Accepted Answer

A)  The client will accomplish the recovery stage of grief by year 1.
B)  The client will accomplish the acceptance stage of grief by year 1.
C)  The client will accomplish the reorganization stage of grief by year 1.
D)  The client will accomplish the emotional relocation stage of grief by year 1. C

Question 3

An instructor is teaching nursing students about Worden's grief process. According to Worden, which of the following client behaviors would delay or prolong the grieving process? (Select all that apply.)

Accepted Answer

A)  Refusing to allow self to think painful thoughts
B)  Indulging in the pain of loss
C)  Using alcohol and drugs
D)  Idealizing the object of loss
E)  Recognizing that time will heal A, C, D

Question 4

A teenager has recently lost a parent. Which grieving behavior should a school nurse expect when assessing this client?

Accepted Answer

A)  Denial of personal mortality
B)  Preoccupation with the loss
C)  Clinging behaviors and personal insecurity
D)  Acting-out behaviors, exhibited in aggression and defiance

Question 5

Which of the following types of care should the interdisciplinary team of hospice provide? (Select all that apply.)

Accepted Answer

A)  Physical care available on a 24/7 basis
B)  Counseling on the addictive properties of pain-management medications
C)  Discussions related to death and dying
D)  Explorations of new aggressive treatments
E)  Assistance with obtaining spiritual support and guidance

Question 6

A nurse assesses a woman whose husband died 13 months ago. She isolates herself, screams at her deceased spouse, and is increasingly restless and aimless. According to Bowlby, this widow is in which stage of the grieving process?

Accepted Answer

A)  Stage I: Numbness or protest
B)  Stage II: Disequilibrium
C)  Stage III: Disorganization and despair
D)  Stage IV: Reorganization

Question 7

What term should a nurse use when describing a response to grieving that includes a sudden physical collapse and paralysis, and which cultural group would be associated with this behavior?

Accepted Answer

A)  "Falling out" in the African American culture
B)  "Body rocking" in the Vietnamese American culture
C)  "Conversion disorder" in the Jewish American culture
D)  "Spirit possession" in the Native American culture

Question 8

A nurse is leading a bereavement group. Which of the following group members should the nurse identify as being at high risk for complicated grieving? (Select all that apply.)

Accepted Answer

A)  A widower who has recently experienced the death of two good friends
B)  A man whose wife died suddenly after a cerebrovascular accident
C)  A widow who, after a year, allowed removal of life support from her terminally ill husband
D)  A woman who had a competitive relationship with her recently deceased brother
E)  A young couple whose child recently died of a genetic disorder

Question 9

A nursing instructor is teaching about the typical grieving behaviors of Chinese Americans. Which student statement would indicate that more instruction is needed?

Accepted Answer

A)  "In this culture, the color red is associated with death and is considered bad luck."
B)  "In this culture, there is an innate fear of death."
C)  "In this culture, emotions are not expressed openly."
D)  "In this culture, death and bereavement are centered on ancestor worship."

Question 10

A client is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Which situation would the nurse assess as reflecting Kübler-Ross's grief stage of "anger"?

Accepted Answer

A)  The client registers for an iron-man marathon to be held in 9 months.
B)  The client is a devoted Catholic but refuses to attend church and states that his faith has failed him.
C)  The client promises God to give up smoking if allowed to live long enough to witness a grandchild's birth.
D)  The client gathers family in order to plan a funeral and make last wishes known.

Question 11

Which grieving behaviors should a nurse anticipate when caring for a Southwest Navajo Indian client?

Accepted Answer

A)  Celebrating the life of a deceased person with festivities and revelry
B)  Not expressing grief openly with reluctance to touch a dead body
C)  Holding a prayerful vigil for a week following the person's death
D)  Expressing grief openly and publicly and erecting an altar in the home to honor the dead

Question 12

A nurse is caring for an Irish client who has recently lost a spouse. The client states to the nurse, "I'm planning an elaborate wake and funeral." According to George Engel, what purpose would these rituals serve?

Accepted Answer

A)  To delay the recovery process initiated by the loss of the client's spouse
B)  To facilitate the acceptance of the loss of the client's spouse
C)  To avoid dealing with grief associated with the loss of the client's spouse
D)  To eliminate emotional pain related to the loss of the client's spouse

Question 13

A woman returns home after delivering a stillborn infant to find that neighbors have dismantled the nursery that she and her husband planned. According to Worden, how should a nurse expect the neighbor's action to affect the woman's grieving task completion?

Accepted Answer

A)  This action may hamper the woman from continuing a relationship with her infant.
B)  This action would help the woman forget the sorrow and move on with life.
C)  This action communicates full support from her neighbors.
D)  This action would motivate the woman to look to the future and not the past.

Exam 39: The Bereaved Individual