A nurse has been providing in-home hospice care to an older adult client with lung cancer for
more than six months. The family asks the nurse how long the Medicare hospice services will
continue. What is the nurse's best response? - Answers The Medicare hospice services can
continue as long as the physician and hospice director agree about the client's terminal
condition.
A nurse is providing hospice care in Portland, Oregon to a client with terminal liver cancer. The
client confides to the nurse, "I'm in agony all the time. I want this to be over now—please help
me." Which interventions should the nurse implement? Select all that apply. - Answers - Control
the client's pain with prescribed medication.
- Advise the client's health care provider of the client's condition.
- Encourage the client to explain his or her wishes.
A client states, "My children still need me. Why did I get cancer? I am only 30." This client is
exhibiting which stage according to Kübler-Ross? - Answers Anger
A patient with end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is admitted to a hospice facility
and asks the admitting nurse, "How long will I be allowed to stay here?" What is the best
response by the nurse? - Answers "When your stay reaches 6 months, you will be recertified for
a continued stay."
A terminally ill patient in pain asks the nurse to administer enough pain medication to end the
suffering forever. What is the best response by the nurse? - Answers "I will notify the physician
that the current dose of medication is not relieving your pain."
A client with a terminal illness who is incapacitated is experiencing intractable pain that is no
longer effectively addressed by conventional pharmacology. Which type of pain management
will the nurse anticipate for this client? - Answers Palliative sedation
Immediately on cessation of vital functions, the body begins to change. The nurse would expect
which physical change to occur following death? - Answers Dusky appearance
The spouse of a terminally ill client is confused by the new terminology being used during
discussions regarding the client's treatment. The nurse should explain that palliative care is: -
Answers care that will reduce the client's physical discomfort and manage clinical symptoms.
A client is declared to have a terminal illness. What intervention will a nurse perform related to
the final decision of a dying client? - Answers Respect the client's and family members' choices.
Despite having been administered prescribed pain medication, a dying client is still experiencing
dyspnea due to fear and anxiety. Which nursing intervention should the nurse use to potentiate
the effects of pain medication and help reduce the dyspnea? - Answers Use imagery, humor,
, and progressive relaxation
The family members of a dying patient are finding it difficult to verbalize feelings and show
tenderness for the dying person. Which of the following nursing interventions should a nurse
perform in such situations? - Answers Encourage the family members to express their feelings
and listen to them in their frank communication.
Evidence-based medical and nursing research has identified cardiovascular disease as the most
prevalent chronic disease in the United States. Under this classification, one condition is the
most common. Using this information, a nurse practitioner, treating a 50-year-old man, would do
which of the following? - Answers Write a prescription for a serum cholesterol level.
During unplanned, spontaneous moments, dying clients usually discuss fears or concerns that
nurses should not ignore or rush. What is the nurse's best response in such situations? -
Answers The nurse can communicate interest and a willingness to listen by sitting down,
leaning forward in the client's direction, and making direct eye contact.
The nurse visits the home of a client with terminal illness. Which assessment findings indicate
to the nurse that the client might die within a few months? Select all that apply. - Answers -
Refuses to eat
- Reports feeling fatigued
- Onset of generalized weakness
- Does not want to visit with family members
The nurse practitioner has four patients with chronic illness that require consistent medical and
nursing management. Select the condition that is the best example of a "chronically critical and
progressively ill" condition. - Answers End-stage renal disease
A nurse is providing care to a client experiencing symptoms associated with terminal illness.
Which of the following would be most appropriate to use as a means for managing the client's
symptoms? - Answers Client's goals
Which of the following may be contained in an "emergency kit" for a hospice patient exhibiting
restlessness? - Answers Benzodiazepine
A family of a dying client reports that their loved one is experiencing more shortness of breath.
Which nursing intervention is most appropriate at this time? - Answers Call the health care
provider to obtain an oxygen order
As the moment of death approaches, which of the following does the nurse encourage the
family to do? - Answers Speak to the client in a calm and soothing voice.
Which is the initial stage of grief, according to Kübler-Ross? - Answers Denial