Childhood Grief Related to the Death of a Sibling

Unfortunately, children die each day, many leaving a childhood sibling survivor. Events such as those at Sandy Hook Elementary School or inner city violence bring the plight of the childhood sibling survivor more to the forefront. Although previous literature and research have focused on the grief process of adults or teenagers, an urgent need remains to understand the grief process of the younger sibling survivor. This article examines the grief process of a sibling survivor within the framework of childhood developmental stages to assist the family nurse practitioner in caring for the sibling survivor on the grief journey.