What it means
A normal response to loss: of a person, a body part, health, a pregnancy, a role or a home. It can show as sadness, anger, guilt, numbness, trouble sleeping, poor appetite and trouble concentrating. Models such as Kübler-Ross's five stages (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance) describe common feelings, but people do not move through them in a fixed order. Anticipatory grief begins before an expected loss. Complicated grief is intense grief that does not ease over a long time and gets in the way of daily life.
For the nurse
Be present, listen, use the person's name and the word "died" rather than vague phrases, and allow time with the body after a death. Respect cultural and religious practices. Refer to support services and watch for signs of complicated grief or depression.
At a glance
| Spanish | duelo |
|---|---|
| Also written | grieving, grieve |
Related terms
sudden infant death syndrome
The sudden, unexplained death of a baby under 1 year old, usually during sleep, where no cause is found after full investigation.
coping mechanism
A thought or action a person uses, on purpose or by habit, to handle stress or difficult feelings.
comfort care
Care that aims to relieve pain and distress and give the best quality of life, rather than to cure, usually near the end of life.