The nurse is completing a family assessment for a victim of intimate partner violence. Which characteristic of the abuser will the nurse identify when completing the assessment?

The nurse's feelings of sadness, poor sleep, and mild depression after the death of the terminally ill client indicate that the nurse is experiencing grief, which is a normal reaction to loss. However, if the nurse is finding it difficult to cope with the grief or if the grief is significantly impacting the nurse's daily life and well-being, seeking therapy is the best action.

Option B suggests seeking therapy for dysfunctional grief, which can provide the nurse with professional support and coping strategies to navigate through the grieving process. Therapeutic interventions can help the nurse process the emotions associated with the loss and provide a safe space to express and explore feelings of grief and loss.

Options A, C, and D may be helpful in certain situations, but they may not directly address the nurse's unresolved grief:

A. Taking a leave of absence to pursue healing can be considered if the nurse's grief is severely impacting their ability to function and provide safe patient care. However, it may not be necessary for everyone, and seeking therapy would be a more specific and targeted approach to address the grief.

C. Using stress reduction strategies can be beneficial for managing stress and promoting overall well-being, but it may not directly address the specific grief experienced by the nurse after the client's death.

D. Seeking an informal forum for discussing death can be helpful in processing feelings and emotions related to death and loss. However, it may not provide the level of support and guidance that therapy can offer in resolving grief.

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.