MediEnglish B2 - Inglés para enfermeros
Learn how to introduce yourself, identify roles, and use essential hospital phrases.
Módulo 5: Death and Grief
In this module, students will explore sensitive topics related to death, grief, and end-of-life care. They will learn vocabulary connected to stages of grief, palliative care, support for families, and professional communication in difficult situations. The grammar focus will be on modal verbs for deduction, which help nurses discuss possibilities, probabilities, and certainty about past events. This is essential for reflecting on patient cases, interpreting clinical information, and providing empathetic support.
En este módulo, los estudiantes explorarán temas sensibles relacionados con la muerte, el duelo y los cuidados al final de la vida. Aprenderán vocabulario relacionado con las etapas del duelo, cuidados paliativos, apoyo a las familias y comunicación profesional en situaciones difíciles. El enfoque gramatical será el uso de los verbos modales de deducción, que ayudan a los enfermeros a hablar sobre posibilidades, probabilidades y certezas acerca de eventos pasados. Esto es esencial para reflexionar sobre casos clínicos, interpretar información médica y brindar apoyo empático.
Learning Materials
Learn vocabulary, phrases, and grammar
Medical Vocabulary
Learn essential medical terms and their usage.
Clinical Phrases
Common expressions used in healthcare settings
The patient must have suffered a lot before receiving palliative care.
El paciente debe de haber sufrido mucho antes de recibir cuidados paliativos.
The family might have felt unprepared for the sudden loss.
La familia pudo haber estado desprevenida ante la pérdida repentina.
The daughter can’t have accepted the death so quickly; she is still in denial.
La hija no puede haber aceptado la muerte tan rápido; todavía está en negación.
He could have found comfort in the support group.
Él podría haber encontrado consuelo en el grupo de apoyo.
The relatives must have appreciated the compassionate care provided.
Los familiares deben de haber valorado la atención compasiva brindada.
That can’t have been an easy conversation about hospice care.
Esa no puede haber sido una conversación fácil sobre los cuidados en hospicio.
The patient’s peaceful passing must have brought some closure to the family.
El fallecimiento tranquilo del paciente debe de haber traído cierto cierre a la familia.
The family might not have understood the stages of grief.
Es posible que la familia no haya entendido las etapas del duelo.
Could the relatives have felt more supported with a counseling session?
¿Podrían los familiares haberse sentido más apoyados con una sesión de consejería?
Nurses must have shown empathy during the memorial service.
Los enfermeros deben de haber mostrado empatía durante el servicio conmemorativo.
The mother can’t have been ready for such a sudden funeral.
La madre no puede haber estado lista para un funeral tan repentino.
The family could have found resilience through their faith community.
La familia podría haber encontrado resiliencia a través de su comunidad de fe.
The patient must have received hospice care before passing away.
El paciente debe de haber recibido cuidados en hospicio antes de fallecer.
Might the relatives have felt abandoned without follow-up support?
¿Podrían los familiares haberse sentido abandonados sin apoyo de seguimiento?
The nurse can’t have ignored the family’s suffering; she showed constant sympathy.
La enfermera no puede haber ignorado el sufrimiento de la familia; mostró constante compasión.
Modal Verbs for Deduction
What is and what is the use:
Que es y como se usa
Modal verbs for deduction are used when we want to make a guess or draw a logical conclusion about a situation. In nursing, they are especially useful when reflecting on past patient care, interpreting family reactions, or discussing end-of-life experiences.
We use:
- Must have + past participle → to show that we are sure something happened in the past.
- Might / May / Could have + past participle → to show that something was possible, but we are not certain.
- Can’t / Couldn’t have + past participle → to show that we are sure something did not happen in the past.
👉 Example:
- “The family must have felt grief after the patient’s peaceful passing.” (We are sure.)
- “The patient might have received palliative care.” (It’s possible, but not certain.)
- “The nurse can’t have ignored the family’s suffering.” (We are sure this did not happen.)
This grammar is essential for nurses, because it allows them to:
✅ Reflect on patient cases with professionalism.
✅ Express degrees of certainty when discussing sensitive topics like loss, mourning, or bereavement.
✅ Communicate with empathy and avoid sounding too direct or judgmental.
- How to use (structure)
Level of Certainty | Modal Verb | Structure | Example (Healthcare Context) |
High Certainty (Almost Sure) | Must have | Subject + must have + past participle | The relatives must have felt grief after the patient’s peaceful passing. |
Medium Certainty (Possible) | Might have / May have / Could have | Subject + might/may/could have + past participle | The patient might have received palliative care during the terminal illness. |
Low Certainty (Impossible / Very Unlikely) | Can’t have / Couldn’t have | Subject + can’t/couldn’t have + past participle | The family can’t have reached acceptance so quickly; they are still in denial. |
- Do not use (Common Errors)
❌ Using present tense after the modal
- Wrong: The patient must have pain.
- Correct: The patient must have suffered pain.
❌ Mixing deduction with obligation
- Wrong: The nurse must have support the family. (sounds like obligation, not deduction)
- Correct: The nurse must have supported the family.
❌ Forgetting “have” in the structure
- Wrong: The family might felt acceptance.
- Correct: The family might have felt acceptance.
❌ Using “mustn’t have” for deduction (in this meaning, it’s not correct in standard English)
- Wrong: She mustn’t have attended the funeral.
- Correct: She can’t have attended the funeral.
- Examples in Context (EN)
- The relatives must have felt grief after the deceased’s funeral.
- The patient might have received palliative care during the last stage of his terminal illness.
- The family can’t have found acceptance so quickly; they are still in denial and anger.
- The nurse could have offered comfort and compassionate care at the memorial service.
- The support group must have helped the mother with coping and resilience after her loss.
- Traducción de Ejemplos en Contexto (ES)
- Los familiares deben de haber sentido duelo tras el funeral del fallecido.
- El paciente pudo haber recibido cuidados paliativos durante la última etapa de su enfermedad terminal.
- La familia no puede haber encontrado aceptación tan rápido; todavía están en negación e ira.
- La enfermera podría haber ofrecido consuelo y atención compasiva en el servicio conmemorativo.
- El grupo de apoyo debe de haber ayudado a la madre con el afrontamiento y la resiliencia después de su pérdida.
Dialogue:
Nurse: The patient’s peaceful passing must have brought some closure to the family.
Doctor: Yes, but the daughter might have felt unprepared for the funeral.
Nurse: That conversation about hospice care can’t have been easy for her.
Doctor: True, but the support group could have offered comfort during the mourning process.
Translate:
Enfermera: El fallecimiento tranquilo del paciente debe de haber traído cierto cierre a la familia.
Doctor: Sí, pero la hija pudo haber sentido que no estaba preparada para el funeral.
Enfermera: Esa conversación sobre los cuidados en hospicio no puede haber sido fácil para ella.
Doctor: Es cierto, pero el grupo de apoyo podría haber ofrecido consuelo durante el proceso de duelo.
Key Vocabulary: peaceful passing, closure, funeral, hospice, support group, mourning, comfort
Dialogue:
- Nurse 1: The relatives must have experienced deep grief after the loss.
Nurse 2: Yes, and their anger might have been part of the bereavement process.
Nurse 1: The mother can’t have accepted the death yet; she is still in denial.
Nurse 2: A counseling session could have helped with coping and resilience.
Translate:
Enfermera 1: Los familiares deben de haber experimentado un profundo duelo tras la pérdida.
Enfermera 2: Sí, y su ira pudo haber sido parte del proceso de luto.
Enfermera 1: La madre no puede haber aceptado la muerte todavía; sigue en negación.
Enfermera 2: Una sesión de consejería podría haber ayudado con el afrontamiento y la resiliencia.
Key Vocabulary: grief, loss, anger, bereavement, denial, coping, resilience
Dialogue:
Doctor: The patient must have received palliative care before passing away.
Nurse: Yes, the team showed empathy and compassionate care.
Doctor: The family might have appreciated the hospice environment.
Nurse: But the sudden death can’t have given them enough time for acceptance.
Translate:
Doctor: El paciente debe de haber recibido cuidados paliativos antes de fallecer.
Enfermera: Sí, el equipo mostró empatía y atención compasiva.
Doctor: La familia pudo haber apreciado el ambiente del hospicio.
Enfermera: Pero la muerte repentina no puede haberles dado suficiente tiempo para la aceptación.
Key Vocabulary: palliative care, hospice, empathy, compassionate care, acceptance, sudden death
Dialogue:
Nurse: The memorial service must have helped the relatives in their healing.
Colleague: Yes, but some of them might not have found closure yet.
Nurse: The children could have felt comfort from the community’s condolences.
Colleague: True, but compassion fatigue can’t have been avoided by the staff after so many losses.
Translate:
Enfermera: El servicio conmemorativo debe de haber ayudado a los familiares en su sanación.
Colega: Sí, pero algunos de ellos pudieron no haber encontrado todavía un cierre.
Enfermera: Los niños podrían haber sentido consuelo con las condolencias de la comunidad.
Colega: Es cierto, pero la fatiga por compasión no puede haberse evitado en el personal tras tantas pérdidas.
Key Vocabulary: memorial service, healing, closure, condolences, compassion fatigue, losses
Learning