Sudden deaths pose their own challenges for community nurses who seek to support bereaved individuals. Sudden deaths like car crash fatalities create a “freeze frame” of the relationship, especially difficult when survivors sense unfinished business.  Though not always completely unexpected, homicides, suicides, and substance overdoses are often accompanied by the shock of a traumatic loss even when families have lived in the dread of waiting for “the other shoe to drop.” Whatever the circumstances, however, caregivers are called on to help survivors make sense of these losses and the challenges of faith that are often part of these experiences.

At the conclusion of this workshop, participants will be able to…

• Describe the three components of complex grief responses and explain how they interact
• Use nursing background to assess for healthy coping and unhealthy behaviors
• Utilize proven helping strategies and refer appropriately