After a patient death, the nurse is preparing to perform postmortem care. The body is placed supine with the head raised so that:

A. This statement may minimize the neighbor's grief by suggesting that time will automatically make things easier. While time can help with the grieving process, it is important to acknowledge and validate the neighbor's current feelings.

B. This statement may unintentionally invalidate the neighbor's grief by implying that he should be happy because his wife is no longer suffering. It disregards the neighbor's current emotional state and may not provide comfort.

C. This statement acknowledges the neighbor's gesture and his shared love of gardening with his wife, Helen. It validates his grief and provides an opportunity for the nurse to express her own appreciation for Helen's expertise, which may help the neighbor feel understood and supported.

D. This statement may pressure the neighbor to suppress his emotions and put on a façade of happiness, which could be detrimental to his grieving process. Additionally, suggesting what Helen would want may not be helpful in this situation, as grief is a personal and individual experience.

A. Have no friends among the unit staff: While having friends among the unit staff can provide emotional support, it is not directly related to a nurse's ability to cope with patient deaths. Support from colleagues can be helpful, but it is not the primary factor influencing a nurse's response to patient deaths.

B. Have not come to terms with their own mortality: This option addresses a significant factor in how nurses cope with patient deaths. Nurses who have unresolved issues or anxiety about their own mortality may find it challenging to deal with the deaths of their patients. Facing one's mortality is an essential aspect of developing resilience in the face of death and dying.

C. Did not foresee that the illness was terminal: While it can be emotionally challenging when a patient's illness unexpectedly becomes terminal, nurses are trained to provide care and support regardless of the prognosis. The ability to cope with patient deaths extends beyond foreseeing the terminal nature of an illness.

D. Cared for the patient for several days: The duration of care provided to a patient may influence the depth of the nurse's emotional connection but does not necessarily determine their ability to cope with patient deaths. Nurses develop coping mechanisms and emotional resilience through experience, training, and self-awareness, rather than simply through the length of time caring for a patient.