Bereavement Role Essay

Bereavement and the Role of the Nurse While each individual experiences death in his or her own way, there are certainly patterns that can be identified with grieving and in the events that follow the death of a loved one. The person in mourning takes on a role and must go through changes in order to move on in life. Oftentimes, there is a large social influence on the process of bereavement, and if a person does not grieve properly or completely, he or she can face issues with further growth and development (Worden, 2008). Understanding factors contributing to bereavement can provide insight to nurses and other healthcare professionals so that they can effectively support the bereaved through the mourning process and through reestablishment.
The Bereavement Role The bereavement role refers to the behaviors, patterns, and cultural norms associated with a person mourning the death of a loved one (Leming & Dickinson, 2016). We often see that the bereaved are excused from their normal behaviors and responsibilities. The bereavement role makes it socially acceptable to behave differently and be socially absent. It allows them to rely more on others for help and support. The bereaved are often excused from work and may require
The study by Lang et al. (2011) looked at miscarriages and perinatal loss. Society often minimizes the impact of loss from miscarriages citing reasons such as the parents had not yet met the child or that a social bond had not yet developed. These parents do face grief and the study found that they experience feelings of ambiguity mostly related to the viability of the fetus, the process of the pregnancy loss, deciding what to do with the remains, and how they share the news with others. By exploring the reasons for ambiguity, the authors provided insight for healthcare professionals who can then appropriately support parents who experienced