A client informs the nurse, "My mother keeps telling me to get over the death of my spouse, but I'm having a hard time doing that."

Question

Which action by the nurse is appropriate to assist the client and family?
A) Refusing to get involved with a family conflict
B) Telling the client that arguing with a parent never ends in a good way
C) Reminding the client and family that the grief process is different for everyone, and that no time limit can be set
D) Agreeing with the client's mother

Answer 1

Answer: C

The client's mother is urging the client to "get over" the death of a spouse. The nurse should remind both the client and family that the grief process is individual and that there is no set time limit for the process to end. Agreeing with the mother would be ignoring the client's feelings. The nurse should not avoid getting involved with the family conflict if the client is experiencing an alteration from a healthy state, because that would be ignoring the client's need. Telling the client that arguing with a parent never ends in a good way is inappropriate.