A young nurse has just completed postmortem care of a 16-year-old client who died of cancer. Which statement by the nurse manager would be therapeutic?

• A. You're right; we should discuss this later.
• B. I know this is hard; but let's talk after coffee.
• C. Let's go for coffee and talk about this some more, shall we? We're both due for our coffee breaks.
• D. Dry your eyes and get back to work.

Answer: (C)

Providing empathetic, collaborative support after a traumatic event helps staff process emotions and prevents isolation. In this scenario, the therapeutic response is to acknowledge the nurse’s distress and offer a concrete, shared opportunity to talk. Saying, “Let’s go for coffee and talk about this some more, shall we? We’re both due for our coffee breaks,” invites a real debrief in a nonjudgmental way, validates that both are affected, and sets a supportive boundary—time to discuss feelings without pressuring immediate completion of duties.

Postmortem care for a young patient can trigger grief, sadness, and moral distress in staff. Leaders who model open, compassionate communication and offer a safe chance to process feelings help reduce distress and promote resilience. The other options either postpone addressing emotions, dismiss the feelings, or push the nurse back to work, which can undermine coping and make the nurse feel unsupported.