Shock & Stabilizing
Shock, confusion, numbness, difficulty thinking
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Nurse Care Extension
Helping compassionate care continue beyond the visit.
Brief visits cannot hold everything a grieving family may need. Nurse Care Extension provides simple language, practical support, and gentle next steps that nurses can share—and families can return to between visits.
Download the 13-Month Nurse PacketThirteen months of printable support sheets with borrowable language, practical offers, and clear guidance for involving the IDT.
Quick Start
In-the-Room Quick Use
Grace Harbor may be new to the family. The nurse is not assuming they already know the resource. After noticing what they are carrying, introduce Grace Harbor as a continuing support they can return to after the visit, at their own pace and in their own way.
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Notice what the family is carrying.
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Find the subject that best matches what you are seeing.
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Use one helpful response or practical offer.
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Introduce Grace Harbor and leave continuing support within reach.
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Document briefly and involve the IDT when appropriate.
Find the Support You Need
Find the Right Sheet in Your Packet
Use the subject that fits the need—not the calendar.
Your Nurse Care Extension packet contains 13 subject-based support sheets. When a need arises, find the subject below that best matches what the person or family is facing, then turn to that subject in your packet for borrowable language, practical offers, and guidance for next steps.
The subjects below are an index to the support sheets in your packet.
The Body Keeps the Score
Exhaustion, sleep problems, appetite changes, physical effects of grief
Waves, Triggers & “Out of Nowhere”
Sudden grief waves, triggers, or feeling overwhelmed “out of nowhere”
The Practical Weight: Decisions, Paperwork & ‘Too Much’
Decision fatigue, paperwork, practical overload, or caregiver strain
Connection vs. Isolation
Withdrawal, loneliness, or difficulty accepting support
Anticipatory Moments & ‘Firsts’
Dread of birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, and other “firsts”
Guilt, Regret & ‘If Only’
Guilt, regret, “if only,” or self-blame
Family Dynamics & Mixed Grief Styles
Family conflict or different ways of grieving
Returning to Life: Energy, Routine & Function
Difficulty returning to routine, work, energy, or everyday functioning
Permission to Smile: Hope Without Betrayal
Guilt about smiling, relief, hope, or moments of happiness
Holidays, Gatherings & ‘Missing at the Table’
Holidays, gatherings, traditions, or an empty place at the table
The One-Year Mark: Reflection & Re-Storying
The one-year mark, reflection, remembrance, or changing meaning
Beyond Year One: When Grief Stays Heavy
Grief that remains very heavy beyond the first year
If you're looking for help with something very specific, from the Home page, go to Restoring Your Horizon and open Tile 7.
Continuing Support
Leave Grace Harbor Within Reach
There is one canonical Grace Harbor Pass-Along Card. It introduces Grace Harbor and gives the family one starting place. From there, the family chooses its own level of support. Do not create discipline-specific QR codes.
Printed Pass-Along Card
The usual physical handoff. Leave the printed card so the family can return to Grace Harbor after you leave.
Quick-Print Card
An ordinary-printer backup when printed stock runs out.
Resources in Development
Digital Pass-Along Card
The family can scan the nurse’s phone, or the nurse can text the digital card.
Resources in Development
Save-to-Phone / Photo Version
A saved phone image can be used even where internet access is poor, until the family later opens the destination.
Resources in Development
A Trace of Grace
Something Gentle to Leave Behind
A Trace of Grace offers printable cards created for moments when a few carefully chosen words can carry compassion beyond the visit. Nurses and care teams can select a card appropriate to the person or circumstance, print it, and leave it as a tangible expression of continuing care.
What’s Included
Inside the Nurse Care Extension
Each of the thirteen subject-based quick-reference sheets is designed for a brief visit. They are topics to match the need in the room, not a month-by-month assignment calendar.
- 13 subject-based quick-reference sheets
- What families may say
- What nurses may notice
- Borrowable language
- Practical offers
- Helpful / avoid language
- IDT guidance
- Documentation-friendly language
Professional Scope
Scope & Gentle Guardrails
- Nurse Care Extension is an educational and supportive resource.
- It does not replace medical, mental-health, legal, hospice, or emergency care.
- Follow agency protocols and professional judgment.
- Involve the IDT when appropriate.
- Escalate safety concerns according to agency protocol.
- Avoid platitudes and forced meaning.
Materials & Support
Need Pass-Along Cards or Professional Materials?
Grace Harbor can provide Pass-Along Cards and professional materials for nurses and care teams.
If Immediate Help Is Needed
If you or a family member are in immediate danger or need urgent help, call 911 (US) or your local emergency number. If you are in crisis, contact 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, US) or your local crisis services.