The wife of a client recently diagnosed with end-stage renal failure s

The wife of a client recently diagnosed with end-stage renal failure shares with the nurse that, “He just accepts this; I want a second opinion.”

The nurse recognizes that while the client has reached the acceptance stage of grieving, his wife is experiencing the:
1. Anger stage
2. Denial stage
3. Depression stage
4. Bargaining stage

ANSWER

ANS: 1
In the denial stage, a person acts as though nothing has happened and refuses to accept the fact of the loss. The person shows no understanding of what has occurred. When experiencing the anger stage of adjustment to loss, a person expresses resistance and sometimes feels intense anger at God, other people, or the situation. Bargaining cushions and postpones awareness of the loss by trying to prevent it from happening. Grieving or dying people make promises to self, God, or loved ones that they will live or believe differently if they can be spared the dreaded outcome. When a person realizes the full impact of the loss, depression occurs. Some individuals feel overwhelmingly sad, hopeless, and lonely. Resigned to the bad outcome, they sometimes with-draw from relationships and life. In acceptance, the person incorporates the loss into life and finds ways to move forward.