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36.6: Key Terms

  • Page ID
    110641
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    acceptance
    a grief stage marked by understanding the loss and acknowledging the new reality
    active euthanasia
    the administering of a lethal dose of medication to someone who wishes to die
    actual loss
    a loss clearly noticed by others
    advance directive (also, living will)
    a written legal document that details specific interventions a person wants
    agonal breathing
    gasping, labored breaths that may result in periods of apnea lasting many seconds
    allow natural death (AND)
    a directive allowing a natural unfolding of the dying process rather than withholding treatments
    anger
    a grief stage marked by an intense feeling of displeasure and hostility
    anticipatory loss
    a loss that an individual expects or foresees
    apnea
    temporary pauses in breathing
    autopsy
    a medical procedure in which a deceased person's body is systematically examined to determine the cause of death and to gain additional insights into the person's health and medical history
    bargaining
    a grief stage marked by attempts to “make a deal” that might change or renegotiate the undesired outcome
    bereavement
    the feeling of grief and the outward expression of mourning
    Cheyne-Stokes breathing
    a pattern of abnormal breathing characterized by progressively deeper and sometimes faster breathing, followed by a gradual decrease that results in a temporary stop in breathing (apnea)
    comfort care
    interventions that promote the comfort of the patient and family during the dying process
    compassion fatigue
    the emotional toll experienced by individuals caring for others
    complicated grief
    a state of grief that is prolonged, delayed, or exaggerated in which individuals have trouble coping and progressing through the normal grief process
    death
    the cessation of biological life functions
    death certificate
    a legal document, signed by a provider, confirming the circumstances of a person’s death
    denial
    a grief stage marked by refusal to acknowledge a loss or insistence that it isn’t happening
    depression
    a grief stage marked by prolonged sadness that affects an individual’s ability to perform everyday tasks
    do not intubate (DNI)
    an order stating that if a person stops breathing, medical personnel such as providers and nurses are not to place an intubation tube
    do not resuscitate (DNR)
    an order stating that if a person stops breathing or their heart stops beating, medical personnel such as providers and nurses are not to take steps to revive or resuscitate the patient
    dysfunctional grief
    grief that does not resolve as expected or in which an individual resorts to unhealthy coping strategies
    euthanasia
    the act of helping a person fulfill their wish to die
    grief
    the emotional response to loss
    healthcare proxy
    a specific person appointed to make medical decisions for you if you are unable to speak for yourself
    homicide
    the killing of one person by another person
    hospice care
    a specific type of comfort care provided at the end of life
    loss
    a real or perceived absence of a possession, circumstance, or individual
    maturational losses
    losses that occur at predictable intervals during an individual's life span
    mottling
    a bluish-red, lace-like (reticular) coloration of the skin
    mourning
    the outward, personal expression of grief
    organ donation
    the donation of organs or tissue that are removed from a person’s body and used for treatment in another person’s body or for other medical uses
    palliative care
    an interdisciplinary approach to specialized medical and nursing care for people with life-limiting illnesses
    palliative sedation
    the administration of pharmaceutical agents to reduce consciousness
    pallor
    an extremely pale hue of the skin
    pallor mortis
    a pale to greyish color of the skin that occurs shortly after death
    passive euthanasia
    the choice to withhold life-sustaining treatment with the intent to hasten death
    perceived loss
    a loss that an individual distinctly feels as an absence, though it may not be apparent to others
    physician order for life-sustaining treatment (POLST) (also, portable medical order)
    a personal directive for medical care
    physiological death
    the state in which the body ceases to function, eventually rendering the individual unable to engage in necessary basic processes
    postmortem care
    the care provided for an individual immediately after death
    procurement
    the harvesting of organs or tissues for organ donation
    provider-assisted death
    the act of a provider prescribing the means by which a person can end their own life
    psychological death
    the state in which the individual begins to face their impending death and consequently regresses into the self
    respite care
    temporary care for an individual to provide relief to their usual caregiver
    rigor mortis
    the stiffening of the muscles in the body after death
    rumination
    the act of focusing on wrongs from the past
    situational loss
    a loss associated with expected or unexpected life changes for an individual
    societal death
    the state in which others, perhaps unable to effectively cope with the imminent loss and its implications, withdraw from the dying individual
    suicide
    death caused by intentional harm to oneself
    terminal illness
    a disease state for which no cure is known; also referred to as a life-limiting disease
    terminal weaning (also, terminal extubation)
    the removal or discontinuation of life-sustaining treatments, procedures, or devices such as a ventilator
    voluntary euthanasia
    the act of helping someone fulfill their wish to die

    This page titled 36.6: Key Terms was last modified on Tue, 24 Dec 2024 20:57:52 GMT and is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by OpenStax via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.

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