The emergency room nurse is caring for a family who lost an adolescent in a violent car accident. Which initial nursing action best helps the family’s grieving process?

Choice A reason: Hemophilia causes bleeding issues, not a strawberry tongue, which is a mucosal symptom. Kawasaki disease’s characteristic tongue appearance matches the description, making this unrelated and incorrect compared to the specific disorder associated with the child’s reported tongue manifestation in the assessment.

Choice B reason: Congestive heart failure affects cardiac function, not oral mucosa, and doesn’t cause a strawberry tongue. Kawasaki disease is the condition linked to this symptom, making this irrelevant and incorrect for the nurse’s recognition of the child’s tongue appearance in data collection.

Choice C reason: A strawberry tongue, with a red, bumpy appearance, is a hallmark of Kawasaki disease, often seen with fever and rash. This aligns with pediatric infectious disease criteria, making it the correct disorder the nurse recognizes based on the caregiver’s description of the child’s tongue.

Choice D reason: Rheumatic fever may cause oral symptoms but not a classic strawberry tongue, which is specific to Kawasaki disease. The latter’s mucosal findings are distinctive, making this less accurate and incorrect compared to identifying Kawasaki disease as the cause of the tongue manifestation.

Choice A reason: Notifying a religious leader may provide spiritual support but is secondary to facilitating the family’s immediate grieving by viewing the deceased. Cleaning the body allows closure, making this less urgent and incorrect for the initial nursing action to support the family’s grief in the ER.

Choice B reason: Arranging funeral home transfer is logistical and less immediate than helping the family process loss through viewing the deceased. Preparing the body supports emotional closure, making this secondary and incorrect for the initial action to aid the family’s grieving process in the ER.

Choice C reason: Cleaning and presenting the deceased allows the family to view their loved one, facilitating closure and beginning the grieving process. This aligns with trauma nursing principles for supporting bereaved families, making it the best initial action in this tragic car accident scenario.

Choice D reason: Presenting personal belongings is meaningful but less critical than allowing the family to see the deceased, which supports immediate grief processing. Body preparation takes precedence for closure, making this less impactful and incorrect for the initial grieving support action in the ER.