...answer my preliminary question “How to deal with loss and grief in the workplace?” There are several articles and stories that have been addressed in this paper that deals with loss and grief in the workplace. This literature review explores what grief is, its processes, the different impacts loss and grief have on the workplace, and the various ways to cope up with the grieving process – from the bereaved, co-workers, and employer’s perspective. Introduction People can experience personal and professional losses from many different sources. Losses can result from a death or any significant life-changing event such as job loss, relationship loss, loss of home, the diagnosis of a life-threatening disease and other more private losses like experiencing a miscarriage (Dr. Kristi Dyer, 2009). Understandably, grief, the response to these losses, can and most often does follow employees and employers alike into the workplace, affecting people's work performance on several different levels (Dr. Kristi Dyer, 2009). What is Grief and it’s Process? Grief is a natural painful response to loss. It’s the emotional suffering an individual feels when something or someone he loves is taken away. Like all other emotions it can be unpredictable and usually incorporates sadness, fear, and guilt after any particular loss. If someone associates grief with the death of a loved one, this type of loss often causes the most intense grief that incorporates unbearable pain to the bereaved...
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...for National Statistics, 2012). These figures indicate a substantial amount of individuals dying in a hospital setting each year, therefore a large proportion of patients will be receiving some form of care prior to and at death (Blackwell 2010 p.1). Numerous research studies have been carried out by theorists identifying the impact of bereavement on different individuals. The earliest thorough study of grief and loss developed from Freud with his classic paper ‘Mourning and Melancholia’ (Freud 1917 cited in Payne et al 1999). Freud believed that for the bereaved to detach from the deceased one must work through their grief by reviewing memories and thoughts of the deceased (Ellman 2010). Other theorists have recently identified death and the importance of understanding it. 'Death is a natural progression from life. Most nurses will be exposed to the physical and emotional effects of this experience as they care for a dying patient. The nurse is taught how to provide support for the patient and family as they proceed through the stages of grief. Often, however the nurse may not realise his or her own need to grieve'. (Brosche 2003 p. 173). Although nurses try to remain professional whilst at work, once they are home and the uniform is removed , emotions that were kept at bay may begin to surface. The main purpose of this literature review is to identify the effects of patient death on nurses within a hospital setting, to recognise any impacts...
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...to Cope with Grief and Loss Grief and loss are inevitable experiences that affect the older adult. Grief is defined as “the emotional response to a loss or death” (Yancey & Hunter, 2014, p. 449). As adults age their friends gradually die, they may outlive older generations of their family, health may deteriorate, and abilities and independence may diminish. The loss of loved ones, health, and independence, among many other losses, can give rise to grief in the older adult. Grief is a natural response to loss. While some can adjust to the conditions of loss in others it can intensify to the point where the individual is unable to cope with the loss (Gibson, 2012). The inability to cope with grief can yield undesirable effects such as: depression, anxiety, insomnia, increased use of alcohol or drugs, and decreased social interaction (Potocky, 1993). This is why it is necessary for the nurse to facilitate the grieving process. Jean Watson’s theory contains relevant concepts that nurses can incorporate into their care of the older adult experiencing grief. Nurses can fulfill their role in facilitating the grief process through the application of therapeutic communication techniques in the appraisal of grief, by preventing isolation through social support, and promoting hope as a coping strategy. The use of therapeutic communication techniques will aid the nurse in making a valid appraisal of the patient’s grief. This involves assessing the value of the patients loss; in other words...
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...HOW DOES STEVEN HERRICK EXPLORE THE THEME OF GRIEF AND LOSS IN “LOVE, GHOSTS AND NOSE HAIRS”? The Australian author Steven Herrick, explores the theme of grief and loss in the novel Love, Ghosts and Nose Hairs. He explores different ways that family members deal with the loss of the maternal figure. He also explores the life of Jack, a sixteen year old boy dealing with the loss of his mother. A lot of strong relationships were lost, and each family member dealt with the loss in completely different ways. Herrick shows the readers what it is like to lose a family member and the ways that some people could deal with the grief of that loss. While reading the book the themes, characterisation, language and symbolism. Herrick explores the different methods used to deal with grief and loss in the book Love, Ghosts and Nose Hairs. Herrick uses poetry...
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...death may bring a sense of loss and grief which could eventually affect the way health care services are appropriately and adequately provided to other patients. However, the degree of nurses’ grief as a reaction to patient death may vary in intensity. This variation may be influenced by several factors present in both the nurse and the nurse-patient relationship. This research study investigates the degree of correlation between these variables and the level of nurses’ grief, it will also look into the factors that may affect the level of grief that nurses experience upon the death of their patient. PROBLEM STATEMENT Grief is an inevitable phenomenon that every human being will eventually experience Cowles and Rodgers (1991). Base of the fact that nurses are in close contact with dying patients, they are vulnerable to the experience of grief. However, the emotional aspect of nurses’ responses to the death of their patients has barely been explored. It is opinionated that the nurse’s own emotional needs are unaddressed due to the fact that most of the studies related to patient’s death focus on the patient’s relatives and significant others. Other researches explore the nurse’s role as one who offers emotional support to the grieving family. Despite the fact that the nursing profession demands that nurses maintain a certain degree of emotional detachment from their patients, nurses may still feel that the death of their patient is their personal loss. Due to the demands of the...
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...social care when an individual is bereaved. 1.1 Explain the impact of significant life events on individuals. Bereavement is the condition of having being deprived of something or someone valued, especially through death. The individual feels yearning, pining and longing for the one who has died. The bereaved feels empty inside. It can greatly impact the way in which a person deals with events in later stages of life. We also call it grief. One of the biggest reasons of grief in humans is the loss of loved ones. The grief can have multifaceted effects on physical, psychological and social behavior of the people. When grief overpowers an individual, he can be adversely affected in various ways. If an individual hears the news of loss of loved ones, this shock causes the adrenal system to release adrenaline steroids in body causing a variety of physical reactions. It can cause physical ailments, nausea, dizziness and vomiting. There is a sudden increase in the blood pressure and stress levels due to the inflammation responses of cytokines. It has also been observed by the scientists that insomnia due to narcolepsy is one of the main physical impacts of bereavement. On the psychological front, it has been shown by the studies that due to sadness and grief, an...
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...5/28/16 Kevin Salcido Elisabeth Kubler Ross was a psychiatrist and revolutionizes how people view death and dying. She would listen to dying patients a give them a public form. She came up with five stages of grief. They stages are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. These stages are used universally. In the first stage that I will discuss is denial. In this stage people may deny the reality of the situation by blocking out the words and hiding from the facts ("5 Stages of Loss & Grief | Psych Central," n.d.-a). For instance, someone could be diagnosed with some form of cancer. That person may not want to know because it might overwhelm them. So they would not want to know the reality of that situation. The second stage would be anger. When denial is no longer working, anger comes into play. People can express anger at a lot of things including themselves ("5 Stages of Loss & Grief | Psych Central," n.d.-b). For example, if someone died unexpectedly and you thought that you could have prevented that death, you could be angry with yourself for not doing all that you could. You could also direct your anger to anyone who could be blamed. The third stage is bargaining. In this stage a person has hope they could have avoided the cause of grief. Sometimes it could be negotiations for an extended life ("Kübler-Ross model explained," n.d.-a). It could be that someone got in a terrible accident and you might think you could have saved them if only you could...
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...Do all people feel grief? What is grief? Grief is when people feel the emotions of deep sorrow, this happens when a loved one is gone. Weather there sad, mad, or maybe happy celebrating the life that they lived. Emotions are emotions, no right or wrong. In this story, Shoofly Pie by: Naomi Shihab Nye, the characters are in a long grief stage in their life. During this essay I will be discussing three different topics , relating to the story Shoofly Pie. The main character, is Mattie, she's a young teen, and right now she is going through stages of grief, from her mothers recent passing. She's afraid of the grief, so she's removing herself from the real world. " She felt safe removed from the grief of what was waiting for her back in the world".( Naomi Shihab Nye pg. )This quote shows sadness from Mattie, she does not want to believe that she is going through this tough grief, but she is rejecting it, so that she can stay out of the real world, where "so she says is safe." When you go through a hard time what do you usually want to do to take your mind off of it? A distraction, And that’s exactly what Mattie needs. She needs a distraction from what she is going through, she wants to get away from the truth. She needs...
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...Stags of Grief Grand Canyon University HLT-310V Spirituality in Health Care Xochitl Harris July 17, 2016 Stages of Grief In our lifetime at one point or another we will experience grief. We may grief a loss of a loved one, a pet, a relationship, a friendship. Grieving after a loss can come at anytime after the loss happened. Some times grieving may take some time to sink in. It may start six months after. Everyone grieves differently and at different times. A person has his or her own way of grieving and dealing with loss. Its important to understand the process of grieving. It will help understand what one is going through emotionally so that one can help someone going through this process. The five stages of grief are identified in this paper by analyzing the book “Lament for a Son” and how the author found joy after his loss (Wolterstorff, 1987). The author of this paper will also identify and explore the meaning and significance of death in the light of the Christian narrative, and how the hope of resurrection plays a role in comforting the author. Five Stages of Grief Denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance, the five stages of grief that one goes through after a loss significant to them are identified by Dr. Kubler-Ross. Every individual grief’s in his or her own way. There is no particular other to follow in the stages. One will experience one or the other, or may start all over again and repeat a stage. To grief is to come to terms with...
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...Jennifer Ms. Jennifer Flynn ENC 1101 29 October 2014 Coping with the loss of a loved one If you’ve lost a grandparent, a pet, a job, or had to move, you have experienced loss and grief and the associated stress. However, when a person experiences extraordinary stress, the normal coping mechanisms are not enough. As a result, when a person experiences a loss beyond the normal stresses and conflicts of life, they subconsciously begin to cycle through various methods of coping, trying to find one that works better. Half of dealing with grief is recognizing this cycling process, which occurs over and over again and working through the pain that accompanies it. The other half consists of enduring pain. While it is extreme, deep and forceful, and while it never completely heals, you can learn to cope with the pain that grief provides. Furthermore, I will be giving insight on the impact that the loss of a loved one creates on ourselves and family members. I also will provide information on coping and catastrophic change, dealing with offensive behavior from others and how family members and outsiders can provide aid for the griever. In addition to being painful, severe loss is incapacitating. Many people report that immediately following their loss, they lost the ability to stand, talk and think at the same time. The mental effort required to keep their balance took more than they had. At the same time, they were unaware of suffering from any incapacity, only looking back...
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...and Dying and Loses in Children Debra Mayers HNG 577: Dr. Sprung 10/28/2012 Death and Dying and Losses in Children * The death of a parent is one of the most difficult events a child might face. * It prematurely exposes the child to the unpredictability of life and the tenuous nature of daily existence. * Children loosing something or someone can significantly change his or her lives. * Helping children understand the dying process will enable one to understand the grieving process. * If children cannot understand the grieving process, it can alter their lives and create unhealthy habits into adulthood. (Bushardt, Reamer & Taylor, 2011). Loss and Grief * Grief is a natural reaction to loss and is ongoing for children developmental process. * Children reacts to grief is different and may be influenced by many factors. * Children s’ perceptions of death reflects on their understanding and maturity. * Children’s maturity depends on their age, cognitive ability, and their existing experiences with life. * Children responding to death are strongly influenced by socialization and their understanding and the maturity level of that individual child. (Heath, Leavy, Hansen, Ryan, Lawrence, & Sonntag, 2008). Issues Facing Families * Teachers and family care providers, family members and counselors can create an environment that supports the children emotional needs. * When educators create that environment with empathy...
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...friends who they may have lost. Consequently, in "The Raven" through the anger that emerges as the man grieves, leads him down a path of unwanted deprivation, and self-doubt. The individual clings to the belief that the answers to his lingering questions will come from the "mistreated raven" until his need to know becomes broken. Additionally, "The Raven" demonstrates the inner workings of a man's mind, as a representation of grief and signifying how desperate people can become because of it. This story demonstrates an individual’s inability to escape the depression and grief of a lost lover and presents...
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...The Loss of a Life Partner The Loss of a Life Partner Introduction Feelings of loss are very personal because only the person involved in the loss knows what is significant to them. People commonly associate certain losses with strong feelings of grief. The solitude is always agonizing, especially for someone who has never lived alone. Many people lose their spouses each year. Because the modern society has few mourning rituals other than the memorial service, they may find themselves alone and disconsolate just when they are most in need of comfort. Different Kinds of Loss Loss of one’s partner can be due to various reasons including: • Death of a partner/Bereavement • Serious or dilapidating illness of a loved one If you—or your loved one—has become sick or injured, expect a number of physical, emotional and financial changes in your life. Coping with these changes can be very difficbrt, even overwhelming at times, but the following strategies may help: • Relationship breakup/Separation Relationship breakup. This involves losing a partner from a problematic relationship. Although it might seem easier to lose a partner when the relationship has been difficult or unsatisfying, the feelings of dissatisfaction can make the survivor vulnerable to guilt and second thoughts. When he/she remembers the best times of the relationship, self-blame can convince the individual that if he/she had done things differently, they could have had good times. The grief...
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...KUBLER-ROSS GRIEVING PROCESS “THE BUCKET LIST” Nursing Fundamentals Mrs. Hartman By: Cecelia Z. Harrison 02/25/12 There are five stages of grief; denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. With these stages come the knowledge of grief and its effects on us which equips us to cope with life and loss. These stages are responses to loss that many people have, but there is not a typical response to loss as there is no typical loss. Our grief is as individual as our lives. The five stages are, denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance which is the foundation of learning to live with the “lost”. They are tools to help us identify what we may be feeling. Not everyone goes through all of them nor do they go through them in a set order. Denial is the first stage of grieving in this stage the world becomes meaningless and overwhelming. Life makes no sense. We are in a state of shock and denial. We go numb. We wonder how we can go on, if we can go on, why we should go on. We try to find a way to simply get through each day. Denial and shock help us to cope and make survival possible. Denial helps us to pace our feelings of grief. There is a grace in denial. It is nature’s way of letting in only as much as we can handle. As you accept the reality of the loss and start to ask yourself questions, you are unknowingly beginning the healing process. You are becoming stronger, and the denial is beginning to fade. But as you proceed, all the feelings you...
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...The article from Kellie Goldsworthy on grief and loss has better explain to me the grieving process and loss. Since I am currently in the short-term unit, I do not witness as much deaths as I did in the long-term unit. However, currently there is a resident who recently was placed on hospice on my unit. This resident has been refusing eating, becoming very weak, and is not talking as much now. The resident is always laying on her bed. The daughter has taken her vacation time off from work in order to be there for her mother. Since I have been seeing the daughter there every day, I have noticed how much this is affecting her. At first she did not want to accept the fact that her mother is in her last stage of life. The daughter use to ask to...
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