A nurse is caring for a client who has cancer and is terminally ill. The nurse should recognize that the client and their family might be experiencing which of the following types of grief?

Choice A reason: Traumatic grief follows sudden, violent loss, not a terminal illness with expected death. The client’s situation involves forewarning, making anticipatory grief more fitting, so this is incorrect. Choice B reason: Anticipatory grief occurs before an expected loss, as in terminal cancer, where clients and families prepare emotionally. This aligns with the situation, making it the correct type of grief. Choice C reason: Complicated grief involves prolonged, impairing mourning after loss, not before. The client is still alive, so anticipatory grief is current, making this incorrect for the scenario. Choice D reason: Disenfranchised grief is unacknowledged loss, like miscarriage. Terminal cancer is socially recognized, so anticipatory grief fits better, making this incorrect for the client’s experience.