Five Stages of Grief

Who is the nurse theorist we associate with the five stages of grief?

The five stages of grief were presented by Dr. Elisabeth Küebler-Ross in 1969 in her book titled “On Death and Dying”. The book offers a conceptual framework of how an individual would cope with the knowledge that he or she is dying. The framework proposes that once faced with death, an individual would go through five stages presented as denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Dr. Küebler-Ross further mentioned that not all individuals go through the five stages in the same sequence, and that some individuals will skip some stages. Besides that, she mentioned that it is important for nurses to have an awareness of the five stages of grief so as to enable them offer the proper nursing care and support the patients as well as their families (Küebler-Ross & Kessler, 2014).

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Name the five stages of grief and describe the manifestations we would expect to see with each one.

As earlier indicated, the five stages of grief are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. The first stage, denial, entails the individual initially disbelieving once told by a medical practitioner that he or she would die. Some of the patients believe that a mistake has been made with eth medical assessment and results. As a result, the patients will typically go for a second and even third opinion to confirm the initial assessment of imminent death. The patient experiences fear, shock and confusion. The second stage, anger, entails the patient accepting that death is imminent and become angry over the information. The patient starts questioning why he/she should die and lashes out at the medical personnel, family members and other loved ones. The patient experiences anxiety, irritation and frustration (Küebler-Ross & Kessler, 2014).  Five Stages of Grief Essay Discussion Paper The third stage, bargaining, entails the patient bargaining with a higher authority (such as God) to change the outcome and offer them more time. Some of the patients bargain with the medical personnel to find treatment options that would offer them more time. The patient struggles to find meaning and reaches out to others. The fourth stage, depression, entails the patient being saddened after accepting the reality about imminent death. The patient is saddened because they have little time to accomplish what he/she wants. This stage is also characterized by increased symptoms, loss of function, and decline in physical abilities. The patient is overwhelmed and helpless. The final stage, acceptance, entails the patient accepting the imminent death and having some sense of peace. At this time, the patient is not happy with the imminent death but replaces the hope of a cure with the hope that the final days will be as desired. The patient explores options, places a new plan in place, and moves on (Küebler-Ross & Kessler, 2014).

Are the five stages of grief considered to be a healthy coping mechanism? Why or why not?

The five stages of grief are important because they help the patient to process the information about imminent death. By going through the five stages, the patient eventually comes to completely accept the imminent death thereby being in peace. This helps to reduce the associated emotional strain as the patient achieves acceptance and hope while regaining control over his/her life. In this respect, the five stages of grief are a healthy coping mechanism (Küebler-Ross & Kessler, 2014).

What can nursing do to help support the families and clients during this time?

Nursing intervention is required at each of the five stages to support the patients and families. In the first stage of denial, nursing would intervene by actively listening to presented concerns, being sensitive to ideas and thoughts that may be medically unrealistic, and ensuring that they feel accepted and understood. In the second stage of anger, nursing would intervene by educating and supporting them to accept the anger, informing them that this is a normal process, and responding to the anger in an accepting and non-provoking manner. In the third stage of bargaining, nursing would intervene by providing active listening and emotional support, and helping the patient to seek spiritual help. In the fourth stage of depression, nursing would intervene by educating them about this stage, and offering a supportive environment. In the final stage of acceptance, nursing would intervene by continuing to anticipate their needs and addressing any concerns, and continuing to provide emotional support (Wang, 2014).

How do we provide our clients with dignity in dying?

Nurses can provide dignity in dying through comfort care by being an advocate for the patient, prescribing treatments and medications as required, arranging spiritual support services where necessary, acting as a mediator, and providing crisis care to alleviate symptoms. Also, nurse should provide emotional support and sensitive care, create a plan of care, perform patient assessments, order appropriate medical supplies as required, and provide respite care when required (Wang, 2014). Overall, the nurses intervene by providing guidance for patients and families who confront the tough decisions associated with death and helping them to adapt to the painful realities.

References

Küebler-Ross, E., & Kessler, D. (2014). On Grief and Grieving: Finding the Meaning of Grief Through the Five Stages of Loss. Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Wang, V. (2014). Handbook of Research on Adult and Community Health Education: Tools, Trends, and Methodologies. IGI Global.

In 1-2 pages, please explain the five stages of grief. Include the following information in your discussion.

• Who is the nurse theorist we associate with the five stages of grief?
• Name the five stages of grief and describe the manifestations we would expect to see with each one.
• Are the five stages of grief considered to be a healthy coping mechanism? Why or why not?
• What can nursing do to help support the families and clients during this time?
• How do we provide our clients with dignity in dying?

Please use proper APA formatting to include a title page, in-text citations, and at least two references.  Five Stages of Grief Essay Discussion Paper