Grief-related Diagnosis?

[Rock1026]

hey there, i have a question about what a grief related nursing diagnosis might be in this situation. i have already identified caregiver role strain and ineffective coping. but the question specifically asks for a "grief related nursing diagnosis." can those two diagnoses be considered grief related? here's the scenario:

amy has been the sole caregiver for her 47-year old husband tom, who is in the final stages of a progressive neurological disorder (als). he is short of breath and having great difficulty swallowing. tom has chosen not to have a feeding tube or ventilator. amy has presented at the clinic with anorexia and weight loss, nausea, and headaches. the work-up for underlying disease is negative. when you sit down with her to understand her personal circumstances, she tells you about tom's circumstances. she confides to you that she is really angry at tom for being a very demanding patient, and that her caregiving skills are slipping. she describes herself as deteriorating mentally. every time he has an acute episode of respiratory distress, she becomes agitated and forgets what medicine to give him.

appreciate any insight into this, thank you!

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

when i pull down my nanda-i and turn to the three nursing diagnoses related to grief and grieving (domain 9, coping/stress tolerance, page 363 ff) i see a number of defining characteristics. nursing diagnosis always follows nursing evaluation and assessment, in the same way medical diagnosis follows medical evaluation and assessment. so: you figure out the nursing diagnosis from the signs and symptoms you observe (or, in a case study, that are described for you).

do any of those match the behaviors she exhibits? there's your answer! (hint: yes, they do!)

(nanda-i 2012-2014, available at your favorite online booksellers or from nanda-i itself-- everyone should have one because it is the definitive resource on nursing diagnosis. i hear amazon gives 2-day free delivery to students.).