END OF LIFE

Front

A terminally ill patient is unresponsive and has cold, clammy skin with mottling on the extremities. The patient's husband and two grown children are arguing at the bedside about where the patient's funeral should be held. What should the nurse do first?

Back

Take the family members aside and explain that the patient may be able to hear them.

Front

A patient is receiving care to manage symptoms of a terminal illness when the disease no longer responds to treatment. What is this type of care known as?

Back

Palliative care

Front

End-of-life palliative nursing care involves: encouraging the patient and family members to verbalize their feelings of sadness, loss, and forgiveness.

Back

encouraging the patient and family members to verbalize their feelings of sadness, loss, and forgiveness.

Front

A deathly ill patient from a culture different than the nurse's is admitted. Which question is appropriate to help the nurse provide culturally competent care? "Tell me about your expectations of care during this hospitalization"

Back

Tell me about your expectations of care during this hospitalization.

Front

The husband and daughter of a Hispanic woman dying from pancreatic cancer refuse to consider using hospice care. What is the first thing the nurse should do?

Back

Assess their understanding of what hospice care services are.

Front

A terminally ill man tells the nurse, "I have never believed there is a God or an afterlife, but now it is too terrible to imagine that I will not exist. Why was I here in the first place?" What does this comment help the nurse recognize about the patient's needs?

Back

He is experiencing spiritual distress.

Front

A patient in the last stages of life is experiencing shortness of breath and air hunger. Based on practice guidelines, what is the most appropriate action by the nurse?

Back

Use any methods that make the patient more comfortable.

Front

During a family meeting, the relatives of a terminally ill patient express anger and frustration about the patient's condition. What should the nurse do first?

Back

Validate their feelings and provide emotional support.