A nurse is assessing several clients who have experienced loss. Which client will the nurse identify as experiencing complicated grieving? Select all that apply.
(Select All that Apply.)

The potential issue that the nursing staff and hospital may have to defend against in this scenario is A. "malpractice."

Explanation: Malpractice refers to a legal claim that can be made against healthcare professionals, including nurses and hospitals, when they fail to provide the standard of care expected in their profession, resulting in harm or injury to a patient. In this case, the lack of documentation that the client was assessed every hour as prescribed can be seen as a failure to meet the standard of care for a client with depression, especially one at risk for self-harm or suicide. If the client attempted suicide in the bathroom and sustained an injury, it could be argued that the lack of proper assessment and monitoring contributed to the client's harm, and this failure to provide appropriate care might be considered malpractice.

The other options, "battery," "false imprisonment," and "assault," do not directly relate to the situation described in the scenario:

B- Battery refers to the intentional harmful or offensive contact with a person without their consent. There is no indication that this occurred in the scenario.

C- False imprisonment refers to the unlawful restraint or restriction of a person's freedom of movement without proper justification. There is no indication of false imprisonment in the scenario.

D- Assault refers to the intentional act of threatening or causing fear of harm to another person. While the client did sustain an injury, there is no indication that it was due to an intentional act of assault in this scenario.

In summary, the potential issue of malpractice arises from the failure to properly assess and monitor a client at risk for self-harm, resulting in harm to the client. The nursing staff and hospital may have to defend against this claim if it is determined that they did not meet the standard of care expected in such a situation.

Complicated grieving, also known as complicated grief or prolonged grief disorder, refers to a type of grief that is prolonged, intense and does not follow the typical trajectory of mourning. It can manifest differently in different individuals, but some common signs of complicated grieving include:

B. An adult who insisted for many years that the adult hated the adult's deceased parent: This could indicate unresolved emotional conflicts with the deceased parent, which may be contributing to complicated grief.

C. The parent of a child who died after having left the child in a car on a hot day: This situation involves feelings of guilt and responsibility, which can complicate the grieving process.

D. The grandchild of a soldier killed in war who visits the grave once a year on Memorial Day: This response is likely a normal grief response, as the person visits the grave once a year during Memorial Day, which is a common time for remembering and honoring deceased loved ones.

The following options are not necessarily indicative of complicated grieving:

A. A driver whose spouse and children all died as a result of his driving drunk: While this is undoubtedly a traumatic event, the description provided does not necessarily indicate complicated grieving specifically.

E. The spouse of a person who died 7 years ago and visits the grave several times a day: Visiting the grave several times a day might indicate a deep sense of loss, but it is not specific to complicated grieving and can vary depending on cultural practices and individual coping mechanisms.

It's essential to recognize that grief is a complex and individual process, and professional assessment and support are often required to identify and address complicated grieving in a person.