The Concept of Grief

Paper Summary:

This paper focuses on the issue of grief as a concept that is significant to the practice of nursing. It explores the intricacies of grief in order to understand the scope of its impact to the field of nursing and health care in general. The paper provides model, contrary, related and borderline cases that relate to grief. It then looks at the social context of grief and then provides an operational definition of the context.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
Assumptions
Literature Review
Defining Attributes
Model, Contrary, Related and Borderline Cases
Social Contexts and Values
Theoretical Definition
Operational Definition of the Concept
Empirical Referents
Measurement Tool
Application to Nursing Practice
Application to Nursing Research

From the Paper:

"The concept of grief can be applied to nursing practice through an understanding of the individual patient and the time that is taken to comprehend all of the factors that impact the patient's life. The issue of quality care should be considered in relation to the concept of grief because the patient that is undergoing the grief process may not be forthcoming with the information, nor be aware that the physical symptoms that are evident are associated with physical illness. Therefore, the nurse that is capable of taking the necessary time to discover information about the patient in terms of current life situations, events that have impacted his or her living and emotional barriers to good health that may exist, will uncover the potential for grief to be a factor in the health concerns of the patient. When this occurs that patient can then be assisted in a manner that is positive and that will lead to successful outcomes for the individual."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Adams, K., and Sanders, S. (2005). Grief reactions and depression in caregivers. Health and Social Work. 34(4): 287-299.
• Arnason, A. (2001). Experts of the ordinary. Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute. 7(2): 299-323.
• Arthur, J. (1999). The nature of grief: The evolution and psychology of loss. London: Routledge.
• Asaro, M. (2001). Working with adult homicide survivors. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care. 37(4): 115-123.
• Beder, J. (2004). Voices of bereavement: A casebook for grief counselors. New York: Brunner-Routledge.

More papers on The Concept of Grief:

• Term Paper # 131964 : "The Concept of Grief"
• Essay # 14891 : "Loss In The Lives Of AIDS Patients"
• Analytical Essay # 29396 : "A Concept Analysis of Grief"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: