The wife of a patient who has just passed away tells the nurse that even though her husband has been ill for a long time, she just feels numb. The nurse realizes that the patient is experiencing which of the following stages of the mourning process?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

There are four stages of the mourning process. The first is disbelief, or a feeling of numbness. This is what the spouse is describing. The second phase is a desperate longing to be with the deceased. The third involves a sense of disorganization and despair. The fourth is reorganization, when the person begins to again find meaning in life, integrating the loss of the loved one into a renewed sense of normalcy.

The Wife of a Patient Who Has Just Passed Away