The stage theory of grief has become generally accepted when applied to various kinds of losses, including hospital staffs' responses to the death of an inpatient.

The stage theory of grief, originally proposed by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, has been widely accepted and applied to various kinds of losses, including how hospital staff respond to the death of patients. This theory, which outlines stages of denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance, provides a framework for understanding the emotional responses to grief.