title: Nursing behaviors in bereavement: an exploratory study.
abstract: Twenty-five pairs of terminally ill patients and their loved ones were studied to determine nursing behaviors which offer greatest support, comfort, and ease of suffering to the loved ones. The Q-sort methodology, consisting of 88 cards, each with one behavior, was used. A three-tier classification of behaviors was derived: those that promote the dying patient's comfort and hygiene; those that indicate understanding of the emotional needs of the dying patient; and those that indicate understanding of the impact on the bereaved of grief, grieving, and loss. The most-desired behaviors pertained to the patient, and the most-desired behavior of the total group was to "keep the patient well groomed." The least-desired behavior (ranked 88th) was to "encourage me to cry."
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006117:Grief; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009633:Nonverbal Communication; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D009732:Nursing Care; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013727:Terminal Care; D014705:Verbal Behavior