A patient has just died following urosepsis that progressed to septic shock. The patient's spouse says, "I knew this was coming, but I feel so numb and hollow inside." The nurse should know that these statements are characteristic of what?

Question

A) Complicated grief and mourning
B) Uncomplicated grief and mourning
C) Depression stage of dying
D) Acceptance stage of dying

Answer 1

Ans: B
Feedback:
Uncomplicated grief and mourning are characterized by emotional feelings of sadness, anger, guilt, and numbness; physical sensations, such as hollowness in the stomach and tightness in the chest, weakness, and lack of energy; cognitions that include preoccupation with the loss and a sense of the deceased as still present; and behaviors such as crying, visiting places that are reminders of the deceased, social withdrawal, and restless overactivity. Complicated grief and mourning occur at a prolonged time after the death. The spouse's statement does not clearly suggest depression or acceptance.