Chapter 15: Planning for the End of Life Test
Bank
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The sensitive health-care worker can demonstrate therapeutic presence by:
a. keeping family informed about patient’s condition every hour.
b. remaining near the patient and family.
c. calling the chaplain to administer to the family.
d. giving pain medication every 4 hours.
ANS: B
Therapeutic presence can be accomplished by simply being near the patient and available.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Knowledge REF: p. 228 OBJ: 9
TOP: Therapeutic presence KEY: Nursing Process Step: Implementation MSC: NCLEX:
Physiological Integrity: basic care and comfort
2. The statement that best depicts the preschooler’s understanding of death is:
a. “My brother is in a better place now and isn’t sick now.”
b. “It will seem funny not to play with my brother anymore.”
c. “My mom and dad won’t have two children since my brother died.”
, d. “I know that my brother got taken because I had a fight with him.”
ANS: D
Preschoolers engage in magical thinking and think that death is reversible. They frequently
believe their own behavior caused the illness or death of a sibling.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Analysis REF: p. 238 OBJ: 5
TOP: Family behaviors related to the dying process
KEY: Nursing Process Step: Assessment
MSC: NCLEX: Health Promotion and Maintenance: growth and development
3. A 90-year-old West Indian man is dying, and 20 family members fill the hall as they try to
crowd into the room. The culturally competent health-care worker will:
a. inform the family that only 3 or 4 at a time should try to be at the bedside.
b. move out unnecessary furniture to make room for the family.
c. direct the family to the waiting room so they will have more space.
d. call the chaplain to pray with the family.
ANS: B
Making room for the family at bedside is comforting to West Indian families as they prefer to
be at bedside at time of death to pray for their loved one.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: p. 233, Table 15-3
OBJ: 10 TOP: West Indian rituals
KEY: Nursing Process Step: Implementation
MSC: NCLEX: Psychosocial Integrity: coping and adaptation
4. The health-care worker can support grieving families at the time of death by:
a. allowing the family time to stay with the loved one after the death.
b. calling the funeral home to collect the body.
c. uttering consoling phrases such as “I know how you feel.”
d. emphasizing that the painful grieving should last less than a year.
ANS: A
One of the roles of the health-care worker at the time of death is to provide support to
grieving families. Providing privacy and time with the loved one after death allows family
members an opportunity to see and touch the deceased, often for the last time.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: p. 238 OBJ: 9
TOP: Nursing responsibilities when death occurs
KEY: Nursing Process Step: Implementation
MSC: NCLEX: Psychosocial Integrity: coping and adaptation
5. When parents ask if their school-age child should attend the funeral of their grandmother,
the health-care worker would base a response on the understanding that attendance will: a.
provide an closure for the child.
b. be a frightening experience.
c. be a deeply religious experience.
, d. be parents’ responsibility is to protect the child from distressing events.
ANS: A
Attendance at funerals helps the school-age child to realize that death is permanent and
provides closure. Sharing this moment of deep significance with parents helps children deal
with their own feelings of sorrow and grief.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: p. 238 OBJ: 11
TOP: Developmental concepts of death and dying
KEY: Nursing Process Step: Implementation
MSC: NCLEX: Psychosocial Integrity: coping and adaptation
6. The primary goal of end-of-life care is:
a. comfort and care to promote death with dignity.
b. protecting the dying person from needless grieving.
c. implementing measures to maintain physiological functioning.
d. facilitating the patient’s progress through all stages of grieving.
ANS: A
When modern technology and pharmacology can no longer keep someone alive, the dying
person’s bill of rights states that he or she has the right to die in comfort and with peace and
dignity.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: p. 234 OBJ: 6
TOP: Options for end-of-life care KEY: Nursing Process Step: Planning
MSC: NCLEX: Physiological Integrity: basic care and comfort
7. A terminally ill patient is unresponsive and having periods of apnea. The patient’s family is
arguing at the bedside about where the funeral should be held. The health-care worker
should:
a. remind the family that this should be the patient’s decision.
b. ask the family members to leave the room.
c. take the family members aside and explain that the patient may be able to hear them.
d. tell the family members that such decisions are premature.
ANS: C
Although the dying person may appear to be in a coma, hearing is the last sense to be lost.
Asking the family to leave the room without an explanation is inappropriate.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: p. 229, Box 15-1
OBJ: 13 TOP: Signs of impending death
KEY: Nursing Process Step: Implementation
MSC: NCLEX: Psychosocial Integrity: coping and adaptation
8. The document naming the person or persons who should make health-care decisions if a
patient cannot make informed decisions for him- or herself is the:
a. personal will.
b. living will.
Bank
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The sensitive health-care worker can demonstrate therapeutic presence by:
a. keeping family informed about patient’s condition every hour.
b. remaining near the patient and family.
c. calling the chaplain to administer to the family.
d. giving pain medication every 4 hours.
ANS: B
Therapeutic presence can be accomplished by simply being near the patient and available.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Knowledge REF: p. 228 OBJ: 9
TOP: Therapeutic presence KEY: Nursing Process Step: Implementation MSC: NCLEX:
Physiological Integrity: basic care and comfort
2. The statement that best depicts the preschooler’s understanding of death is:
a. “My brother is in a better place now and isn’t sick now.”
b. “It will seem funny not to play with my brother anymore.”
c. “My mom and dad won’t have two children since my brother died.”
, d. “I know that my brother got taken because I had a fight with him.”
ANS: D
Preschoolers engage in magical thinking and think that death is reversible. They frequently
believe their own behavior caused the illness or death of a sibling.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Analysis REF: p. 238 OBJ: 5
TOP: Family behaviors related to the dying process
KEY: Nursing Process Step: Assessment
MSC: NCLEX: Health Promotion and Maintenance: growth and development
3. A 90-year-old West Indian man is dying, and 20 family members fill the hall as they try to
crowd into the room. The culturally competent health-care worker will:
a. inform the family that only 3 or 4 at a time should try to be at the bedside.
b. move out unnecessary furniture to make room for the family.
c. direct the family to the waiting room so they will have more space.
d. call the chaplain to pray with the family.
ANS: B
Making room for the family at bedside is comforting to West Indian families as they prefer to
be at bedside at time of death to pray for their loved one.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: p. 233, Table 15-3
OBJ: 10 TOP: West Indian rituals
KEY: Nursing Process Step: Implementation
MSC: NCLEX: Psychosocial Integrity: coping and adaptation
4. The health-care worker can support grieving families at the time of death by:
a. allowing the family time to stay with the loved one after the death.
b. calling the funeral home to collect the body.
c. uttering consoling phrases such as “I know how you feel.”
d. emphasizing that the painful grieving should last less than a year.
ANS: A
One of the roles of the health-care worker at the time of death is to provide support to
grieving families. Providing privacy and time with the loved one after death allows family
members an opportunity to see and touch the deceased, often for the last time.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: p. 238 OBJ: 9
TOP: Nursing responsibilities when death occurs
KEY: Nursing Process Step: Implementation
MSC: NCLEX: Psychosocial Integrity: coping and adaptation
5. When parents ask if their school-age child should attend the funeral of their grandmother,
the health-care worker would base a response on the understanding that attendance will: a.
provide an closure for the child.
b. be a frightening experience.
c. be a deeply religious experience.
, d. be parents’ responsibility is to protect the child from distressing events.
ANS: A
Attendance at funerals helps the school-age child to realize that death is permanent and
provides closure. Sharing this moment of deep significance with parents helps children deal
with their own feelings of sorrow and grief.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: p. 238 OBJ: 11
TOP: Developmental concepts of death and dying
KEY: Nursing Process Step: Implementation
MSC: NCLEX: Psychosocial Integrity: coping and adaptation
6. The primary goal of end-of-life care is:
a. comfort and care to promote death with dignity.
b. protecting the dying person from needless grieving.
c. implementing measures to maintain physiological functioning.
d. facilitating the patient’s progress through all stages of grieving.
ANS: A
When modern technology and pharmacology can no longer keep someone alive, the dying
person’s bill of rights states that he or she has the right to die in comfort and with peace and
dignity.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: p. 234 OBJ: 6
TOP: Options for end-of-life care KEY: Nursing Process Step: Planning
MSC: NCLEX: Physiological Integrity: basic care and comfort
7. A terminally ill patient is unresponsive and having periods of apnea. The patient’s family is
arguing at the bedside about where the funeral should be held. The health-care worker
should:
a. remind the family that this should be the patient’s decision.
b. ask the family members to leave the room.
c. take the family members aside and explain that the patient may be able to hear them.
d. tell the family members that such decisions are premature.
ANS: C
Although the dying person may appear to be in a coma, hearing is the last sense to be lost.
Asking the family to leave the room without an explanation is inappropriate.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: p. 229, Box 15-1
OBJ: 13 TOP: Signs of impending death
KEY: Nursing Process Step: Implementation
MSC: NCLEX: Psychosocial Integrity: coping and adaptation
8. The document naming the person or persons who should make health-care decisions if a
patient cannot make informed decisions for him- or herself is the:
a. personal will.
b. living will.
