Question

Case study to discuss

Eleanor has always loved working with patients at a large cancer center in her city. Recently, however, you have noticed that the loss of one particular patient, Maria, has really been quite a blow for Eleanor. This is not the usual response Eleanor has to a patient’s death, and having worked at the center for 8 years, she has experienced her share of patient deaths.

After Maria’s death, Eleanor wrote a brief post on her Facebook page saying, “Lost a very special person today,” and posting a funny little traditional Irish poem Maria liked to recite. She has also, by invitation, joined a special page Maria’s family has set up to celebrate Maria’s life and share memories.

One day, a few of Eleanor’s colleague’s criticize her for this while you are having lunch with Eleanor in the center’s cafeteria.

“Sharing anything about a former patient is inappropriate,” one nurse tells her.

The other nurse nods. “Even participating or joining the page at all is inappropriate.”

After they leave, Eleanor looks at you, and then buries her face in her hands. “Do you think I was wrong?” she says. “Maria was my patient, I know, but we grew so close over the last months. She and her sisters and I became actual friends. I just thought my happy memories of some of Maria’s good moments might help other people celebrate her life too. In fact, I got very positive feedback from Maria’s family, and even friends of hers that I didn’t know, on the anecdote I shared.”

She lowers her hands and looks at you. “I don’t know. I know, I know, she was a patient, yes, and I was the nurse. But I loved her anyway. Am I unprofessional for grieving like this? Do you think maybe I’m depressed or having some kind of breakdown? What should I do?”

1. Given the criticism Eleanor has received, what specific type of grief is she most likely experiencing? How might it be contributing to Eleanor’s prolonged pain, and what can you do to help her?
2. What other types of grief do you know?
3. Eleanor feels guilty for grieving like this for a patient and worries that she is experiencing depression. Based on what you know, how would you answer? What is the difference between normal grief and major depressive disorder?
4. This story mentions Eleanor’s participation in celebrating Maria’s life on Facebook. What is your impression of this as a positive or negative contribution—given what you’ve learned from the text?

Answer 1

GRIEF

-It it is defined as an intensive sorrow mainly caused by someone's death.

-It is a response to loss particularly to the loss of someone that has died. When looking on the emotional response to loss it has social,cultural,spiritual,physical and psychological dimension.

STAGES OF GRIEF

-Denial

-Anger

-Bargaining

-Depression

-Acceptance

A.DENIAL

When more out of the denial stage, the emotions have been hiding will being to rise. The person will be confronted with a lot of sorrow they have denied.That is a part of the journey of grief but it can be difficult.

B.ANGER

Dinal may be considered aise copy mechanism then anger is a masking effect.The pain and emotions we feel where hiding by anger.

C.BARGAINING

Helpless and vulnerable may feel during grief. in this state,person may find himself creating a lot of "what if" and "if only" statements.

D.DEPRESSION

When bargaining and anger may feel very active but depression may feel like quite stage of grief. It may feel like the inevitable landing points of any loss.

E.ACCEPTANCE

It is not necessary for a happy stage of grief. It mean that the person accepted the loss and have come to understand what it means in your life now. This stages will give a different feel and entirely expected.

1)

In this case study there is a deep relationship between the nurse and the patient.An healthy nurse patient relationship is important element for an effective treatment.

Here the the nurse have a deep relation with the patient and the family members.Because of this,the death of the patient make a feelings of loss and grief in the nurse.

-Here she experienced complicated grief.

It is a normal grief that become severe in longevity and significantly impaired the ability to function. It is difficult to judge when grief has lasted too long. Tum vahan science for someone his experience this grief including feelings of guilt, low self esteem, radical lifestyle changes.

2)

-The deep relation with the patient make a feeling of grief and guilt in the nurse by the death of the patient.

-Through a free conversation and sharing the feelings, we can help her to come out her feelings of grief. Suggest her to take a leave for a week. Is helped her to free her mind and guilt.

3)

TYPES OF GRIEF

• Normal grief.
• Delayed grief.
• Anticipatory grief.
• Complicated grief.
• Absent grief.
• Abbreviated grief.
• Collective grief.
• Secondary loss grief.
• Inhibited grief.
• Exaggerated grief.
• Distorted grief.
• Masked grief.
• Cumulative grief.
• Chronic grief.
• Disenfranchised grief.

4)

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN normal grief and major depressive disorder.

a) Normal Grief:

-There is an identifiable loss.

-The person's focus is on the loss.

-Able to feel a wide range of emotion.

-Self-esteem is usually preserved after loss.

-Fluctuating physical symptoms.

b) Major Depressive Disorder:

-A specific loss may or may not be defined.

-The person focus is on self.

-Fixed emotions.

-Feelings of worthlessness and self loathing.

-Prolonged and marked functional impairment.

5)

I feel this as a positive contribution.

Because, human are social animal. More than that in this case we can see a deep relation with nurse, patient and patient's family.

According to the nursing guidelines, nurse-patient relationship want to terminate when the treatment is over. Nurse-patient relationship is very important for the effective treatment and coordination.But in the vision of humanity,the patient was died and it make a feeling of loss in the family and patien's friends.so the nurse interaction with sharing the feelings with the family and Facebook page will help the family and friends psychology and help to minimise the feelings of loss.

CONCLUSION

Here we discuss about,

-Definition of grief.

-Types.

-Stages.

-Difference between Normal Grief and Major Depressive Disorder.

-Impression about the case