Chronic sorrow and grief are concepts that nurses regularly come in contact with. Sorrow can arise from situations where a person has passed away or they are debilitated in a way that will change their life for the rest of it. Nurses need to be able to understand sorrow and grief patterns to understand when a patient is experiencing heightened or prolonged grief. Eakes, Burke and Hainsworth, to help determine normal responses to loss and grief, developed the theory of Chronic Sorrow.
Defining Chronic Sorrow
Chronic sorrow can be defined as periodic recurrence of pervasive feelings of grief and sadness. This is an ongoing response cyclical in nature. The afflicted person will experience symptoms including depression, guilt frustration or sadness.
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As people who are around chronic sorrow and grief on a regular basis, nurses are required to have a healthy understanding of grief and coping with it. First and foremost, it is critical that nurses do not consider those who are affected by chronic sorrow to be experiencing a disease. The role of the nurse is to simply figure out what makes the chronic sorrow better. By asking the patient, “What helps?”, the nurse can understand the patient’s particular coping styles. Eakes et al. have found that being an empathetic presence is the most helpful in assisting a patient with chronic sorrow. Listening, offering support, understanding feelings as well as appreciating the uniqueness of the individual are all effective empathetic strategies. This requires the nurse to be respectful, tactful, compassionate, sensitive and …show more content…
If a patient is able to ascribe meaning to a circumstance they have a better chance of having a greater appreciation for life(MS). This concept was examined in patients who have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Many patients who were diagnosed with MS ineffectively managed their sorrow. Many of these patients required external management methods including pharmaceutical interventions, professional counseling and spiritual counseling. Those who were able to manage their sorrow internally found that greater appreciation for life, personal growth and hope for the future led to a higher quality of life. As a nurse, it is important to know when internal management methods are not enough or not properly being implemented by the patient. Supporting the patient in their difficult time is very important in helping them through their sorrow. (MS) While Nurses and other healthcare providers can implement effective implementations, the best result have been seen in patients that are able to implement their own healing and coping processes. External management should be implemented with the understanding that the patients sorrow is not pathological and is very normal. The nurse is best suited being an “Empathetic presence” in these situations, which could help the patient reach a place of peace without major
Although nurses do not wield the power of doctors in hospital settings, they are still able to effectively compensate for a doctor’s deficits in a variety of ways to assure patient recovery. Nurses meet a patient’s physical needs, which assures comfort and dignity Nurses explain and translate unfamiliar procedures and treatments to patients which makes the patient a partner in his own care and aids in patient compliance. Nurses communicate patient symptoms and concerns to physicians so treatment can be altered if necessary and most importantly, nurses provide emotional support to patients in distress.
Leo Buscaglia once said, “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” In the field of nursing, this concept could not be illustrated more profoundly. The trait of caring within nursing is arguably the most important trait that a nurse could possess. It can be defined in various ways, but to me, caring is the act of being moved or compelled to action by feelings of compassion, empathy, sympathy, anger, intention, sadness, fear, happiness, protection, enlightenment, or love in light of another human being. There are many aspects to the term “caring”. It is an ever-present shape shifter, swiftly
Every person’s needs must be recognized, respected, and filled if he or she must attain wholeness. The environment must attuned to that wholeness for healing to occur. Healing must be total or holistic if health must be restored or maintained. And a nurse-patient relationship is the very foundation of nursing (Conway et al 2011; Johnson, 2011). The Theory recognizes a person’s needs above all. It sets up the conducive environment to healing. It addresses and works on the restoration and maintenance of total health rather than only specific parts or aspect of the patient’s body or personality. And these are possible only through a positive healing relationship between the patient and the nurse (Conway et al, Johnson).
84). Seven assumptions are the foundation for the Theory of Transpersonal Caring. The first assumption states that the nurse has the moral commitment to protect and enhance the human dignity of the patient. Second, caring is respecting the subjective and spiritual needs of the patient during times of despair, honoring “an I-Thou Relationship rather than an I-It Relationship”(Alligood, 2014, p. 84). For example, honoring his or her needs, routines, or rituals. The theory’s third assumption states that effective caring is accomplished by establishing human connection. The nurse must seek to connect with the inner spirit of another by being present in the moment. The fourth assumption discusses the importance of honoring the wholeness of the person. Watson’s fifth assumption is about finding one’s inner harmony. “The nurse helps another through this process to access the healer within” (Alligood, 2014, p. 85). Assumption six focuses on the practice of caring. Continued growth in physical and mental well-being are essential to advance nursing practice. The nurse’s personal history and knowledge gained from worldly experiences shapes the way he/she may practice. Lastly, the seventh assumption states that the practice of caring is ongoing, and a central part to both nursing and Jean Watson’s Theory of Caring (Alligood,
...nate in their work and genuinely care for their patients, but to do this they must set professional and personal boundaries and be aware of the effect pain; trauma and death may have on their lives. According to Bush (2009), nurses must learn forgiveness and love themselves to prevent and overcome compassion fatigue. “Nurses should treat themselves with the empathy and compassion that they give others” (Bush, 2009, p. 27). Nurses should take time to nurture themselves by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and diet. They should also continue to participate in activities that they enjoy, get plenty of rest, and have a sense of self-awareness throughout their career. Additional resources are available to any caregiver to educate themselves on compassion fatigue at The Compassion Fatigue Awareness Project’s web site at http://www.compassionfatigue.org/index.html.
This article investigates the need for expanded grief interventions in the ID population. The authors look at a growing interest in the signs of grief that cause long term problems while acknowledging that too little is known about the grieving
It is common for those experiencing grief to deny the death altogether. Many people do this by avoiding situations and places that remind them of the deceased (Leming & Dickinson, 2016). However, by simply avoiding the topic of death and pain, the mourner only achieves temporary relief while in turn creating more permanent lasting agony (Rich, 2005). In this stage, mourners will begin to feel the full weight of the circumstance. Whether the death of a loved one was sudden or long-term, survivors will feel a full range of emotions, such as sadness, guilt, anger, frustration, hopelessness, or grief. While many of these emotions can cause serious suffering, it is important for the survivor to feel whatever emotions come up and deal with those feelings, rather than trying to suppress any
The pediatric oncology unit has become a heavily studied area for those interested in prevention of compassion fatigue, burnout, and identification of those character traits that offer increased resilience. Nurses are expected to maintain professionalism and appropriate work-life balance but this may become a difficult task on a unit where children have a chronic, intensive, and potentially life-ending condition. Nurses become close to the patient and their family and when death occurs they too may feel a great sense of intense grief and loss. The acknowledgment of this grief and the promotion of adequate self-care habits, work-life divisions, and the ability to recognize when help may be needed are amongst the most important means in prevention of burnout and compassion fatigue. In addition to utilization of positive coping skills by the nurse a responsibility by the organization is also necessary to prevent staff burnout and turnover. The organization is responsible for acknowledgement of a loss on the unit. Presentation of prompt and anonymous counseling services to everyone on the unit following a death and regularly on high-risk units is just one of the many ways an organization can continue to decrease the loss of good nurses to compassion fatigue and
... four tasks of mourning are good guidelines to help nurses in this specialty to continue to care for patients with empathy, yet not be overwhelmed with sorrow.
Two concepts at the heart of nursing are comfort and caring. The Meriam Webster dictionary defines comfort as easing grief or trouble, as well as giving hope or strength. The definition of caring is showing or feeling concern for others. Theorists Jean Watson and Katharine Kolcaba seek to enhance nurses understanding of caring and comforting patients through their respective theories. This paper will discuss their theories using a stepwise approach.
The nursing discipline embodies a whole range of skills and abilities that are aimed at maximizing one’s wellness by minimizing harm. As one of the most trusted professions, we literally are some’s last hope and last chance to thrive in life; however, in some cases we may be the last person they see on earth. Many individuals dream of slipping away in a peaceful death, but many others leave this world abruptly at unexpected times. I feel that is a crucial part to pay attention to individuals during their most critical and even for some their last moments and that is why I have peaked an interest in the critical care field. It is hard to care for someone who many others have given up on and how critical care nurses go above and beyond the call
Nurses are an equally important part of each client’s life. Nurses provide stable care to each client, answers their questions, gives medications and treatments, and assists with medical procedures. They also have the responsibility to explain to clients and family members what they should and should not do as they go through treatment and recovery. Nurses must quickly respond to patients needs. Every individual nurse has his or her own unique way of caring. There are so many ways to show caring that the possibilities are never ending. Nurse’s support, comfort, and help allow the patients to recover to the best of their ability. Their experiences in dealing with different patients that have unique situations on a daily basis helps the nurses become better caregivers. Therefore, every nurse is capable of demonstrating care in their respective environments.
In conclusion, grief is a universal and personal experience. Every child will experience grief differently. In order for patients to receive utmost care, nurses require thorough knowledge and understanding of the theories and stages of grief and loss Through implementing the practical nursing strategies that have been proposed, the nurse can provide the best possible care to a child and their family that are experiencing grief and loss in the acute care setting whilst also completing the four essential tasks of William Worden’s theory that are required for a child to grieve successfully.
The nurse stated during the interview that “holding the hand of the patient just diagnosed with a terminal illness” (Appendix A) is difficult and requires a variety of techniques to face the situation. There are many ways to approach a dying patient, and one study identified four themes that help nurses in creating a “’curtain of protection’ to mitigate the grieving process and allow them to provide supportive nursing care” (Gerow et al., 2010). Of the four approached, there is one that appears to make the greatest impact on the nurse; the fact that initial patient deaths are formative. In this case, a study found that “significant death experiences early in a nurse’s career set the foundation for how the nurse began caring for future dying patients” (Gerow et al., 2010), which was further explained as the fact that those who had enough support and mentorship early on in their nursing practice were more likely to not be emotionally damaged by the event, and were able to better approach similar situations in the future. I plan on implementing this strategy in the future by surrounding myself with colleagues and mentors within my practice that I am comfortable confiding in whenever I happen to be struggling. A strong support network is key for maintaining proper emotional health, which is important for a nurse to have when working with vulnerable patients and providing competent
It is the job of nurses to help the patient understand that they are not alone and there is a complete support team waiting to aid them back to health. Conditions such as depression can occur to patients who have a poor prognosis. A survey from cancer patients showed that lower levels of depression occur when the health care professional discusses the severity of the situation and gives the patient answers that they need such as life expectancy and how the condition could affect them (P. E. Schofield, 2015). Emotional and cognitive reactions are also similar in that they both regard the mental state of the