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WorksheetsBlailock's Grief/Spirituality Practice Quiz
Total questions: 51
Worksheet time: 1hrs 17mins
A nurse midwife is assisting a patient whose birth plan states she is firmly committed to natural childbirth. When informed the infant is in distress and a cesarean delivery is necessary, the pregnant patient sobs inconsolably, calling herself a failure. The nurse offers emotional support based on what likely types of losses? Select all that apply.
Actual
Perceived
Psychological
Physical
Anticipatory
A hospice nurse who cared for a dying patient and their family documents that the family is experiencing a period of mourning. Which behaviors would the nurse expect to see at this stage? Select all that apply.
The family arranges for a funeral for their loved one.
The family arranges for a memorial scholarship for their loved one.
The coroner pronounces the patient’s death.
The family arranges for hospice for their loved one.
The patient’s daughter writes a poem expressing her sorrow.
An older adult who recently moved into a long-term care facility tells the nurse their only son died 20 years ago, and they haven’t enjoyed life since. When giving report to the next shift, the nurse tells the oncoming nurse the resident seems to be suffering from which type of grief?
Somatic
Anticipatory
Unresolved
Inhibited
A home health care nurse has been caring for a patient with advanced AIDS who is working through the stages of death and dying. The nurse documents the patient has entered the acceptance phase of death when the patient makes which statement?
“I’ve made peace with everyone, and I’m actually ready to move on.”
“God cannot possibly be good if He allows people to get this horrible disease.”
“I just want to get better. A friend of mine had success with a plant-based diet.”
“The test results must be mixed up with someone else’s; I feel better now.”
A patient tells the nurse it is unfair that they should have to die now when they have finally made peace with their family. Which response by the nurse would be most appropriate?
“I’m sorry you’re feeling this way when death is inevitable.”
“It does seem unfair. Tell me more about how you are feeling.”
“You’ll come to acceptance soon; no one knows how much time they have.”
“Tell me about your pain. Did it keep you awake last night?”
A nurse is caring for a terminally ill patient who says, “I just can’t sleep. I keep worrying about what my family will do when I am gone.” What response by the nurse is most appropriate?
“You need your sleep for your visitors tomorrow.”
“You need your sleep for your visitors tomorrow.”
"Your family told me they will be fine.”
“I suggest you discuss this with your family.”
A patient tells a nurse that their daughter has been appointed to make decisions for them should they become incapacitated. What follow-up question would the nurse ask?
“Did the health care provider complete a Physician Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) form?”
“Do we have a copy of your durable power of attorney for health care?”
“Have you prepared a living will?”
“Should I phone your provider for you to sign an Allow Natural Death (AND) form?”
A group of nursing students in a leadership course are studying the ANA position regarding assisted suicide. The professor asks the students for the best response to a note written by a ventilator-dependent patient “help me end my suffering, I don’t want to live anymore.” Which nursing response is consistent with the ANA’s position?
“I will do everything possible to keep you comfortable but will not administer medication to cause your death.”
“Being removed from the ventilator is a form of active euthanasia, which is not supported by the nurses’ code of ethics.”
After exhausting every intervention to keep a dying patient comfortable, the nurse says, “Let’s talk about when and how you want to die.”
“I’m personally opposed to assisted suicide, but I’ll find you a colleague who can help you.”
A patient with end-stage breast cancer has been in the medical intensive care unit for 3 weeks. Her husband tells the nurse that his wife was very clear about not wanting aggressive treatment that would merely prolong her dying. Which type of order could the nurse suggest the husband discuss with his wife’s health care provider?
Comfort Measures Only
Do Not Hospitalize
Living Will
Slow Code Only
A nurse in the intensive care unit is preparing a patient’s family for terminal weaning from mechanical ventilation. What nursing actions would facilitate this process? Select all that apply.
Offering the family information about the advantages and disadvantages of continued ventilatory support
Explaining to the family what will happen at each phase of the weaning and offer support
Validating orders for sedation and analgesia to promote comfort and dignity
Teaching the family that the decision for terminal weaning must be made by the primary care provider
Explaining that death occurs quickly after the patient is removed from the ventilator
The parents of an infant in the neonatal intensive care unit (ICU) for several months also have a 22-month-old child at home. The nurse notes the parents seem chronically fatigued, express guilt about neglecting their child at home, have been short tempered, and express anxiety about their continued ability to manage their family. The nurse plans to address which of these health problems in the plan of care?
Dysfunctional Grief
Fear about Being a Burden to Others
Impaired Ability of Caregiver to Perform Caretaking
Impaired Health Maintenance
A nurse is caring for terminally ill patients in a long-term care setting. Which nursing action is appropriate during end-of-life care?
Avoiding disturbing a comatose patient by speaking to them while providing care
Holding the hand of a dying patient and crying with the patient and family
Requesting a social work consult for family members with multiple complaints about the care
Performing hygiene for the patient because it is easier than having the patient help
After validating an autopsy is not planned, a new graduate nurse provides postmortem care. Which action requires the preceptor to correct the graduate?
Leaving the patient in a sitting position at the family’s request
Placing identification tags on both the shroud and the ankle
Removing soiled dressings and tubes, while washing the body
Ensuring a death certificate is issued and signed
The family of a patient who has just died asks for privacy and supplies to wash their loved one’s body. How does the nurse best respond?
Inform the family that there is no need for them to wash the body since the funeral home typically does this.
Explain that hospital policy forbids their being alone with the deceased patient.
Provide the requested the supplies and maintain a watchful eye to ensure they maintain the patient’s dignity.
Provide the requested supplies, assess if this request is linked to religious or cultural customs, and offer assistance.
An older adult who has had multiple strokes is refusing artificial nutrition and hydration against medical advice and in opposition to their daughter. The patient’s nurse advocates for the patient, stating which party is the most appropriate decision maker?
Electronic Health Record (EHR), Consultations Tab Psychiatric Consult: Patient is competent, understands the consequences of her actions, no depression noted. Patient persists in refusing treatment. Suggest ethics consultation.
Patient
Patient’s daughter
Health care provider
Ethics consult team
A nurse receives information in a shift report that a patient who has rapidly progressing terminal illness is in the denial phase of death and dying. The nurse expects a patient in this stage to make which statement?
“I can’t wait to get out of the hospital and plan next year’s beach vacation.”
“I’ve chosen my favorite music and readings for my memorial service.”
“The people in this hospital are so incompetent, what a bunch of idiots!”
“I cry every time I wonder how my children will get along when I’m gone.”
A nurse notes a hospice patient is increasingly agitated, with noisy, irregular breathing and periods of apnea. The skin of their feet appears mottled. The nurse takes which action?
Activates the rapid response team to treat shock
Contacts the respiratory therapist for a nebulizer treatment
Prepares the patient’s family for imminent death
Inserts an oropharyngeal airway for suctioning
A hospice nurse is caring for a patient who is dying of pancreatic cancer. The patient tells the nurse, “I feel no connection to God” and “I’m worried that I’ve found no real meaning in life.” What is the nurse’s best response to this patient?
Give the patient a hug and tell them that their life still has meaning.
Arrange for a spiritual advisor to visit the patient.
Ask if the patient would like to talk about their feelings.
Call in a close friend or relative to talk to the patient.
A nurse who was raised as a strict Roman Catholic but is no longer practicing stated they could not assist patients with spiritual distress because they recognize only a “field of power” in each person. The nurse says to her colleague, “My parents and I hardly talk because I’ve deserted my faith. Sometimes I feel really isolated from them and God—if there is a God.” These statements reveal which unmet spiritual need?
Meaning and purpose
Forgiveness
Love and relatedness
Strength for everyday living
A nurse in a long-term care facility is performing spirituality assessments of residents on their unit. What is the best question the nurse could use to assess for spiritual needs?
“Can you describe your usual spiritual practices and how you maintain them daily?”
“Are your spiritual beliefs causing you any concern?”
“How can I and the other nurses help you maintain your spiritual practices?”
“How do your religious beliefs help you to feel at peace?”
A patient who stated their religion as Jewish at the intake interview was served a kosher meal ordered from a restaurant on a paper plate because the hospital had no provision for kosher food or dishes. The patient became angry and accused the nurse of insulting him, emphatically stating, “I want to eat what everyone else does—and give me decent dishes.” After analyzing the data, the nurse returns to the patient and makes which of these statements?
“I’m terribly sorry, I should have ordered kosher food and dishes as well.”
“Did someone on the staff behave condescendingly or critically?”
“It seems difficult to please you today.”
“We did not ask about your dietary preferences; tell me what you usually eat.”
A surgeon tells a patient who is a Jehovah’s Witness that they need emergency surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm, which will require blood transfusions. The patient states, “If I receive blood, I will not go to paradise. It is against my religion.” What nursing response to the patient is appropriate?
“I understand you will not receive blood products, even if it means you will die.”
“Please listen to the surgeon; I’ve seen many aneurysms successfully repaired”
“Have you discussed your decision to refuse surgery with your family?”
“What can I say to help you through this difficult decision?”
The Roman Catholic family of an infant born with hydrocephalus requests a baptism for their infant. The nurse advocates for the family’s wishes to be honored for which reason?
Baptism frequently helps postpone or prevent death or suffering.
It is legally required that the nurse provide for this care when requested.
It is a nursing function to assure the salvation of the infant.
Not facilitating the baptism may increase the family’s sorrow and suffering
A nurse is caring for patients in a long-term care facility. Which nursing actions are appropriate based on the religious beliefs of these patients? Select all that apply.
Asking a Buddhist if they have any diet restrictions related to the observance of holy days
Asking a Christian Scientist who is in traction if they would like to try nonpharmacologic pain measures
Asking a Roman Catholic patient if they would like to attend Mass in the common room on Sunday
Administering medications to a Muslim patient and avoiding touching the patient’s lips
Consulting with the medicine man of a Native American patient and incorporating their suggestions into the care plan
A nurse who is caring for patients on a pediatric unit is assessing children’s spiritual needs. Which is the most important source of learning for a child’s own spirituality?
Child’s church or religious organization
What their parents say about God and religion
Their parents’ behavior in relationship to the family, others, and to God
Family’s spiritual advisor
A nursing student is caring for a patient admitted with chest pain related to aortic valve stenosis. The student notes the patient, who had been calm and cooperative the day before, has become contemplative and withdrawn, stating, “I’ve never thought much about dying, but my chances of making it through tomorrow’s surgery are 50-50.” How does the student best respond when the clinical professor asks the student why this behavior likely surfaced later in the patient’s admission?
Patients usually want to maintain privacy about their spiritual needs.
People are better able to focus on spiritual needs after their spiritual advisor visits.
Family members and close friends often initiate spiritual concerns.
Illness increases spiritual concerns, which may initially be difficult to verbalize.
A nurse who is comfortable with spirituality is caring for a patient who needs spiritual counseling. What action will the nurse take first?
Calling the patient’s own spiritual advisor
Asking if the patient has a spiritual advisor they wish to consult
Counseling the patient and, if unsuccessful, making a referral to a spiritual advisor
Explaining the best health options for the patient to the spiritual advisor
A patient states they feel very isolated from their family and church, and even from God, “in this huge medical center so far from home.” When preparing expected outcomes for this patient, which most appropriately measures relief of the patient’s spiritual distress?
The patient will express satisfaction with the compatibility of their spiritual beliefs and everyday living.
The patient will identify spiritual beliefs that meet their need for meaning and purpose.
The patient will express peaceful acceptance of limitations and failings.
The patient will identify spiritual supports available to them in this medical center.
A patient who lost their home, spouse, and children in a fire is depressed and states that they have no reason to live. The patient states, “My family was my life.” The nurse documents a health problem of Spiritual Distress based on the patient’s inability to find meaning and purpose in their current situation. What is the priority nursing action for this patient?
Asking the patient which spiritual advisor they would like you to call
Recommending that the patient engage in spiritual or religious readings
Determining what has given the patient meaning and purpose in the past
Reminding the patient that God is a loving and personal God
After terminating a pregnancy, a patient tells the nurse, “I shouldn’t have had that abortion because I’m Catholic, but what else could I do? I’m afraid I’ll never get close to my mother or back in the Church again.” They then talk with their priest about this feeling of guilt. Which evaluation statement shows a solution to the problem?
Patient stated, “I wish I had talked with the priest sooner. I now know God has forgiven me, and my mother is beginning to understand.”
Patient has slept from 10 pm to 6 am for 3 consecutive nights without medication.
Patient has developed mutually caring relationships with others.
Patient has identified several spiritual beliefs that give purpose to their life.
A parish nurse is speaking to a congregant whose adolescent child was arrested for shoplifting. The congregant is very angry, stating they cannot face the child, let alone discuss the situation: “I just will not tolerate a thief.” What nursing action will best assist the congregant at this time?
Assuring the congregant that many parents feel the same way
Reassuring the congregant that many teenagers act rebelliously and that it will pass
Assisting the congregant to identify how withholding forgiveness hurts them
Asking the congregant if they have spent sufficient time with their child
A hospice nurse who provides pastoral care is teaching nursing students about the three spiritual needs believed to be common to all people. Which of these will the nurse include in the discussion? Select all that apply.
Rules to live by
Meaning and purpose
Love and relatedness
Forgiveness
Food, clothing, and shelter
What is Palliative Care
Care for the elderly
Care for people dying
Care for people with terminal illnesses
Care that improves the quality of life
What is palliative care appropriate for?
Diagnosis of a long term life-limiting condition
Short-term illnesses
Common colds
Minor injuries
Which of the following is a primary goal of palliative care?
To cure the disease
To provide comfort and improve quality of life
To extend life at all costs
To isolate the patient from family
Which of the following is a common goal of end-of-life care?
To ensure a peaceful and dignified death
To aggressively treat the underlying disease
To isolate the patient from their loved ones
To focus only on the patient's physical needs
How does cultural sensitivity impact palliative care?
It has no impact on care delivery
It ensures care is respectful and tailored to individual beliefs
It complicates the care process unnecessarily
It requires ignoring patient preferences
Which of the following best describes the role of family in palliative care?
Family should be excluded from the care process
Family involvement is crucial for emotional support
Family should only be informed of medical procedures
Family should make all medical decisions
What is bereavement?
The process of diagnosing a terminal illness
The sense of loss experienced when a loved one dies
The treatment of a chronic disease
The process of planning a funeral
Which of the following is NOT one of the five stages of grief according to the Kubler-Ross model?
Denial
Anger
Happiness
Acceptance
What is an advanced decision or living will?
A document that specifies a person's preferences for future medical treatment
A plan for funeral arrangements
A list of medications a person is taking
A document that outlines a person's daily routine
What is one of the roles of advanced decisions and living wills?
To increase the cost of treatment
To make professionals aware of the patient's wishes
To delay the care process
To reduce the involvement of the family
Where can hospice care be offered?
Only at home
Only in hospitals
Only in nursing homes
At home, in hospitals, or in nursing homes
At what stage of a serious illness is palliative care considered appropriate?
Only during curative treatment
At any age and any stage
Only at the end stage
Only for terminal patients
Which of the following is a component of advanced care planning in palliative care?
Increasing medication dosages
Scheduling regular check-ups
Creating a will
Avoiding discussions about health
When should Palliative Care be initiated?
Only when the patient is in severe pain
As soon as a serious illness is diagnosed
After all curative treatments have failed
Only at the end of life
Who can benefit from Palliative Care?
Patients with chronic illnesses
Patients with minor ailments
Only cancer patients
Only elderly patients
What is a common myth about Palliative Care?
It is only for terminal patients
It is available at home
It can improve quality of life
It includes family support
What is a misconception about Palliative Care regarding medication?
It involves stopping all medications
It focuses on pain management
It is only for terminal patients
It can be provided at home
Mrs. Smith's daughter expresses concerns about her mother's pain and requests strong pain medications. What should the nurse do in response to this request?
Administer the requested pain medications immediately to alleviate discomfort.
Explain that pain management is not a priority in end-of-life care.
Consult with the healthcare team and seek a second opinion on pain management.
Assess the nature and intensity of Mrs. Smith's pain before administering pain medication.
Mrs. Smith's advanced directive states her wish to forgo life-sustaining treatments. Her son, who is her healthcare proxy, requests that aggressive interventions continue. What should the nurse do in this situation?
Respect the son's wishes and continue with aggressive treatments.
Proceed with the advance directive without involving the son in the decision-making process.
Educate the son about his mother's advance directive and encourage a family meeting to discuss the situation.
Seek legal counsel to resolve the disagreement between the son and the advance directive.
