Death, Dying, and Grief Practice Questions

35 multiple-choice questions on Death, dying, and grief for paramedic and EMT students, from Chapter 2 (Workforce Safety and Wellness). Read each question, pick your answer, then tap Show answer to check it and read the explanation.

35 practice questions

1. The stages of grief described by Kübler-Ross are:

   1. A. Shock, anger, guilt, loneliness, and closure
   2. B. Alarm, resistance, exhaustion, recovery, and peace
   3. C. Fear, sadness, anger, numbness, guilt, and healing
   4. D. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance
   Show answer

   Answer: D. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance

   People move through them unevenly and may revisit stages.

2. A patient who says "This can't be happening, run the test again" is likely in which stage?

   1. A. Acceptance
   2. B. Bargaining
   3. C. Denial
   4. D. Anger
   Show answer

   Answer: C. Denial

   Denial is a buffer that gives a person time to absorb the news.

3. A dying patient's anger directed at the paramedic should be understood as:

   1. A. A personal attack on the crew
   2. B. A reason to withdraw care
   3. C. Part of the grief process
   4. D. A sign of mental illness
   Show answer

   Answer: C. Part of the grief process

   Staying calm and present is the professional response. It is not really aimed at you.

4. When caring for a dying patient, the paramedic should:

   1. A. Avoid eye contact to reduce distress
   2. B. Speak only with the family members
   3. C. Promise that everything will be fine
   4. D. Speak gently and answer honestly
   Show answer

   Answer: D. Speak gently and answer honestly

   Honesty with compassion serves the patient better than false reassurance. Make eye contact and allow the patient to talk.

5. A family member asks whether their loved one is going to die. The best response is to:

   1. A. Be honest without removing hope
   2. B. Reassure them everything will be fine
   3. C. Decline to answer the question
   4. D. Give a specific survival estimate
   Show answer

   Answer: A. Be honest without removing hope

   Avoid promises you cannot keep, and avoid blunt statements that shut the conversation down. Explain what you are doing.

6. Children under about 3 years of age generally:

   1. A. Sense distress in those around them
   2. B. Understand death as permanent
   3. C. Grieve in the same way adults do
   4. D. Feel personally responsible for the death
   Show answer

   Answer: A. Sense distress in those around them

   Reassurance and routine matter more than explanation at that age. They react to the emotions of the people around them.

7. School-age children may believe that:

   1. A. Their thoughts or actions caused it
   2. B. Only elderly people can die
   3. C. Death is always reversible
   4. D. Death is always quick and painless
   Show answer

   Answer: A. Their thoughts or actions caused it

   Reassuring them that it was not their fault is important.

8. When a resuscitation is stopped in the home, the family should be:

   1. A. Told the patient may still recover
   2. B. Asked to sign forms before being told
   3. C. Told plainly and offered support
   4. D. Removed from the area immediately
   Show answer

   Answer: C. Told plainly and offered support

   Use clear words such as "died" rather than vague phrases that confuse. Give them time with the patient when safe.

9. The death of a child on a call is significant for providers because it:

   1. A. Mainly affects newer providers
   2. B. Should not affect a true professional
   3. C. Is handled like any other call
   4. D. Often triggers strong reactions
   Show answer

   Answer: D. Often triggers strong reactions

   Planning for support in advance helps crews after these calls. It deserves deliberate follow-up support.

10. A paramedic's own grief after a patient's death is:

    1. A. A sign of unsuitability for EMS
    2. B. Valid only if they knew the patient
    3. C. A normal response deserving support
    4. D. Something to hide from the crew
    Show answer

    Answer: C. A normal response deserving support

    Unprocessed grief accumulates over a career.

11. Grief is best described as:

    1. A. A reaction lasting a few days
    2. B. A sign of emotional weakness
    3. C. The natural response to loss
    4. D. A diagnosable mental disorder
    Show answer

    Answer: C. The natural response to loss

    There is no fixed timeline. Each person expresses it differently.

12. The stages of grief described by Kübler-Ross should be understood as:

    1. A. Common responses in any order
    2. B. Applicable only to the dying
    3. C. Formal diagnostic criteria
    4. D. A fixed sequence everyone follows
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Common responses in any order

    People move back and forth. They may also repeat.

13. Bargaining as a grief response may sound like:

    1. A. If I can just see my daughter marry
    2. B. This is not happening to me
    3. C. I am ready for what comes
    4. D. Why is this happening to me
    Show answer

    Answer: A. If I can just see my daughter marry

    It often involves negotiating for time.

14. A patient in the depression stage of grief may:

    1. A. Be actively suicidal by definition
    2. B. Withdraw and express sadness
    3. C. Deny that the illness exists at all
    4. D. Lash out in anger at caregivers
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Withdraw and express sadness

    It reflects processing the reality of the loss.

15. Acceptance in the dying patient means:

    1. A. Giving up on all further treatment
    2. B. Coming to terms with it
    3. C. A later, quieter phase of denial
    4. D. A form of clinical depression
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Coming to terms with it

    Family members often reach it later than the patient. It may bring calm.

16. A hospice patient in severe pain grips your hand during transport and asks, 'Am I dying?' Which response is best?

    1. A. 'No, you'll be fine. Let's not talk about that right now.'
    2. B. 'That's a question you should really ask your own doctor.'
    3. C. 'Probably within a few days, based on what I'm seeing.'
    4. D. 'Your illness is serious. I'm here, and we'll keep you comfortable.'
    Show answer

    Answer: D. 'Your illness is serious. I'm here, and we'll keep you comfortable.'

    The goal is to be honest without being blunt and to stay present. Acknowledging how serious the illness is, while promising comfort, respects the question. False reassurance breaks trust. Deflecting to the doctor leaves the patient alone with the fear. A specific timeline is something you cannot know and is cruel to guess.

17. Which response best supports a grieving family member?

    1. A. I'm so sorry. Who can I call for you?
    2. B. I know exactly how you feel right now
    3. C. At least it was quick and painless
    4. D. Try to stay strong and not cry
    Show answer

    Answer: A. I'm so sorry. Who can I call for you?

    Practical help and presence beat explanations.

18. Phrases such as passed away or we lost him should be:

    1. A. Never used under any circumstances
    2. B. Used only when speaking to children
    3. C. Used carefully; died is clearer
    4. D. Always used to soften the news
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Used carefully; died is clearer

    Vague language confuses, especially under stress.

19. When a death occurs in the home, the family should generally:

    1. A. Be removed from the home immediately
    2. B. Get accurate information and privacy
    3. C. Be given a detailed prognosis
    4. D. Be asked to wait outside the home
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Get accurate information and privacy

    Follow local policy on scene preservation. Allow time with the body when safe.

20. Children's understanding of death between ages 3 and 6 typically includes:

    1. A. Full understanding of permanence
    2. B. Adult-level reasoning about death
    3. C. No emotional reaction at all
    4. D. Belief that death is reversible
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Belief that death is reversible

    Honest, simple language helps.

21. Children between about 6 and 9 years:

    1. A. Understand death fully as adults do
    2. B. Begin to see death as permanent
    3. C. Are generally unaffected by loss
    4. D. Do not understand death at all
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Begin to see death as permanent

    They may ask concrete questions. They may personify death.

22. Adolescents grieving a death may:

    1. A. Recover fully within a few days
    2. B. Usually show no outward reaction
    3. C. Always grieve exactly like adults
    4. D. React strongly, even with risk-taking
    Show answer

    Answer: D. React strongly, even with risk-taking

    Peer support matters greatly to them. Anger is also common.

23. When speaking with a grieving child, the provider should:

    1. A. Use gentle euphemisms such as sleeping
    2. B. Avoid the topic to protect them from pain
    3. C. Ask them to be strong for their family
    4. D. Use clear words; say it isn't their fault
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Use clear words; say it isn't their fault

    Magical thinking makes reassurance important.

24. A terminally ill patient who calls 911 may:

    1. A. Always want full resuscitation
    2. B. Have no advance directive
    3. C. Want symptom relief or support
    4. D. Be confused about their illness
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Want symptom relief or support

    Ask what they hope will happen. They may also want transport; clarify their goals.

25. Hospice care focuses on:

    1. A. Prolonging life at all costs
    2. B. Comfort and quality of life
    3. C. Curative disease treatment
    4. D. Inpatient hospital care only
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Comfort and quality of life

    EMS may still be called for symptom crises or falls. Symptom control is central.

26. Palliative care differs from hospice in that palliative care:

    1. A. Excludes opioid pain control
    2. B. Is provided in hospitals only
    3. C. Is only for the actively dying
    4. D. Can accompany curative treatment
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Can accompany curative treatment

    Both prioritize comfort and goals of care. It may be provided at any stage.

27. When resuscitation is not attempted because of a valid DNR, the family should be told:

    1. A. What the order means
    2. B. To contact their own physician
    3. C. That nothing more can be done
    4. D. Nothing until the physician arrives
    Show answer

    Answer: A. What the order means

    Comfort care continues. Explain clearly and compassionately.

28. A grieving family member who becomes angry at the crew is usually:

    1. A. Threatening the crew's safety
    2. B. Confused about what happened
    3. C. Filing a formal complaint
    4. D. Expressing grief, not judging care
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Expressing grief, not judging care

    Stay calm and do not take it personally.

29. After an unsuccessful infant resuscitation, your partner, who has a baby the same age, is quiet and wants to go straight back into service. What is the best action?

    1. A. Go right back into service, since staying busy will help him
    2. B. Tell the supervisor he is unfit for duty and should go home
    3. C. Ask for a short out-of-service period and offer peer support
    4. D. Avoid mentioning the call at all so you don't upset him
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Ask for a short out-of-service period and offer peer support

    Pediatric deaths, especially when the provider has a child the same age, carry a high risk of strong reactions. A short break, a direct check-in, and an offer of peer support work better than staying busy or staying silent. Calling him unfit for duty overreacts to a normal reaction and may discourage him from asking for help.

30. Providers who must notify a family of a death should:

    1. A. Avoid eye contact to stay composed
    2. B. Use a private space and clear words
    3. C. Always delegate it to police
    4. D. Tell them quickly at the door
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Use a private space and clear words

    Silence after the words is appropriate. Allow time for reaction.

31. Cultural and religious practices around death may include:

    1. A. No meaningful variation among groups
    2. B. Rituals and body-handling preferences
    3. C. Only prayer at the bedside
    4. D. The same practices everywhere
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Rituals and body-handling preferences

    Ask the family what they need. Preferences about who should be present also vary.

32. A week after a patient died on her call, a paramedic still feels sad when she drives past the address but is sleeping, eating, and working normally. What is the best interpretation?

    1. A. A normal grief response; support is available if she wants it
    2. B. A sign that she is unsuited to EMS work
    3. C. Posttraumatic stress disorder needing immediate treatment
    4. D. A problem she should keep hidden from her crew
    Show answer

    Answer: A. A normal grief response; support is available if she wants it

    Grief after a patient death is normal, and sadness tied to reminders, with normal sleep and function, fits that. Support should be offered, not forced. It does not mean she is unsuited for the job. PTSD needs symptoms such as intrusion, avoidance, and impaired function lasting more than a month. Hiding feelings is what lets grief build up over a career.

33. Which is the most appropriate way to support a colleague after a death-related call?

    1. A. Reassign them to other duties
    2. B. Tell them to move on quickly
    3. C. Check in and listen
    4. D. Avoid bringing up the topic
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Check in and listen

    Follow up in the days afterward, not only that shift.

34. Anticipatory grief occurs when:

    1. A. Grief is delayed for months
    2. B. Grieving starts before death
    3. C. The death is sudden and unexpected
    4. D. Grief is denied by family
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Grieving starts before death

    Families of terminally ill patients often experience it. The loss is expected.

35. Which statement about grief timelines is accurate?

    1. A. Grief lasts exactly one year
    2. B. Grief has no fixed timeline
    3. C. Grief ends after the funeral
    4. D. Grief resolves in a set period
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Grief has no fixed timeline

    Support should not be tied to a calendar. It may resurface at anniversaries and milestones.