Sally was experiencing grief followed by the death of her husband. The nurse can help this patient to set which of the following as a short-term goal?

Appeared in: UPUMS Nsg officer-2023

Explanation

The immediate priority in grief counseling is to help the patient acknowledge and process their emotions.
Expressing feelings about the loss is a critical short-term goal that helps the patient begin to cope with the reality of the situation.
This aligns with established models of mourning, such as Rando's processes, which identify 'experiencing and expressing the pain of the loss' as a key early task.
Facilitating the expression of feelings helps prevent complicated grief and promotes healthy adaptation to the loss.

Option A: Talking about the future is a long-term goal that occurs during the later phases of grief, such as reorganization and recovery.
Option B: This is a major life decision, not a therapeutic goal. The nurse's role is to support the patient's coping and decision-making process, not to suggest specific living arrangements.
Option D: Returning to a job signifies a return to normal life patterns and functioning, which is a long-term goal in the grieving process.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Use the key finding related to Nursing goals for grief and loss to guide bedside assessment, documentation, and the next nursing action.
Nurses play a vital role in providing psychosocial support to grieving patients and their families, helping them navigate the complex emotional landscape of loss.
A key nursing responsibility is to assess for signs of complicated grief, where the person is stuck in a state of chronic mourning and unable to move forward.
What if? If the patient consistently avoids talking about her husband or her feelings, the nurse should be concerned about denial or avoidance coping. The approach would shift to gently exploring the reasons for this avoidance and assessing for risks of complicated grief, possibly requiring a referral to a mental health specialist.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key concepts in the question: 'grief' and 'short-term goal'.
Recall that the grieving process involves different stages or tasks that occur over time.
Differentiate between short-term (immediate, initial) and long-term (later, recovery-focused) goals.
Evaluate each option. Ask yourself: 'Is this something a person does in the initial, acute phase of grief, or is it something they do once they have started to heal and adapt?'
Recognize that expressing feelings is a foundational step for processing any major loss.
Eliminate options that represent later stages of adaptation, such as planning for the future or returning to normal activities.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Nursing goals for grief and loss
Stem keywords: grief, death of her husband, short-term goal
Lead-in keywords: which of the following
Clinical cues: Patient experiencing grief after a significant loss (death of a spouse).

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E6 Nursing Brunner Adult Health 3SA Vol 2 Part 3 p. 102-104

E6 Nursing Fundamentals Potter Perry 12e Part 4 p. 51-53

Practise the full UPUMS Nsg officer-2023

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.