A 33-year-old patient has been told that her disease is terminal. The patient is crying and states, "l will just be a dependent drain on my family. I hate being a burden to them." The nurse can best respond:

"l know. would feel terrible if I had been told I was dying."

"Is there any reason to tell your family about this now? You still have some time in which you can enjoy life."

"You have heard some very bad news today. Can you describe what you mean by burden?"

"l doubt that your loving family will view your terminal care as a burden."

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is C

Option C is the best response because it acknowledges the patient's feelings of being a burden on her family and encourages her to express her concerns further. By asking the patient to describe what she means by burden, the nurse demonstrates empathy, active listening, and a willingness to understand the patient's perspective. This approach opens the door for therapeutic communication and allows the nurse to explore the patient's feelings and concerns more deeply.

A. "I know. I would feel terrible if I had been told I was dying." This response does not effectively address the patient's concerns or provide therapeutic communication. It shifts the focus from the patient's feelings to the nurse's hypothetical reaction, which may invalidate the patient's emotions and fail to address her immediate needs.

B. "Is there any reason to tell your family about this now? You still have some time in which you can enjoy life." This response minimizes the patient's emotions and fails to acknowledge her distress about feeling like a burden to her family. It also suggests avoiding communication with her family, which may not be in line with the patient's values or preferences regarding sharing important information.

C. "You have heard some very bad news today. Can you describe what you mean by burden?" This response acknowledges the patient's feelings and invites further discussion about her concerns. By encouraging the patient to describe her feelings of being a burden, the nurse demonstrates empathy and validates the patient's emotions, which can promote therapeutic communication and understanding.

D. "I doubt that your loving family will view your terminal care as a burden." While this response attempts to provide reassurance, it may come across as dismissive of the patient's feelings and concerns. It assumes how the patient's family will react without addressing the patient's immediate emotional needs or exploring her perspective further.

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Correct Answer is B

Explanation

A. Bargaining: Bargaining is a stage in Kübler-Ross's model where the patient may attempt to negotiate with a higher power or medical professionals to change their fate. An increase in daily function is not typically associated with this stage.
B. Acceptance: In Kübler-Ross's model of the stages of grief, acceptance is the final stage. It is characterized by the patient coming to terms with their diagnosis and prognosis. When a terminal patient demonstrates an increase in the level of daily function, it can indicate that they have reached a state of acceptance. This means they have acknowledged their situation and are finding ways to live their life as fully as possible, despite their illness.

C. Depression: Depression is another stage in Kübler-Ross's model where the patient experiences feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and despair. While depression may occur at any point during the grieving process, an increase in daily function suggests movement beyond this stage.

D. Yearning: Yearning, also known as the stage of "pain and guilt" in Kübler-Ross's model, involves feelings of longing for what was lost or what cannot be. It is characterized by emotional distress and a desire to return to a previous state. An increase in daily function is not indicative of this stage.

A. feces and urine Will drain onto the bed pads. B. movement of the deceased will be more convenient. C. blood will not pool in the face and cause discoloration. D. the deceased will appear to be sleeping.

Correct Answer is C

Explanation

Feces and urine will drain onto the bed pads (Option A): Placing the body supine with the head raised does not facilitate drainage of feces and urine. Proper containment measures, such as the use of incontinence pads or diapers, are necessary to manage bodily fluids after death.

Movement of the deceased will be more convenient (Option B): Placing the body supine with the head raised does not necessarily make movement of the deceased more convenient. Postmortem care should be performed with care and respect, regardless of the positioning of the body.

Blood will not pool in the face and cause discoloration (Option C): Placing the body supine with the head raised helps prevent blood from pooling in the dependent areas of the face, such as the cheeks and forehead. This reduces the risk of postmortem lividity, which can cause discoloration and make the deceased's appearance less natural.

The deceased will appear to be sleeping (Option D): While placing the body supine with the head raised may create a more natural appearance for the deceased, resembling the posture of someone sleeping, the primary purpose of this positioning is to prevent blood pooling in the face, rather than to create a sleeping appearance.

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A 33-year-old patient has been told that her disease is terminal. The patient is crying and states, "l will just be a dependent drain on my family. I hate being a burden to them." The nurse can best respond:

Nursing Test Bank

Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

When the nurse notes an increase in the level of daily function in the terminal patient, the nurse assesses that this patient has reached Kübler Ross's level of:

Correct Answer is B

Explanation

After a patient death, the nurse is preparing to perform postmortem care. The body is placed supine with the head raised so that:

Correct Answer is C

Explanation

A terminally ill patient and his family have requested hospice care. The nurse clarifies hospice care philosophy as:

The type of grief that happens before the actual loss is known as:

Nurses may have a difficult time dealing with patient deaths if they

Directions: Correlate the behavior with Kübler-Ross's stages of dying from the choices below. "She’ll soon be at peace"

A nurse is caring for a client who has been diagnosed with end-stage liver cancer. Which of the following statements by the client indicates that the client is in the denial phase of the grief process?

A nurse is caring for an older adult client who expresses feelings of grief for his earlier life. Which of the following actions should the nurse take to help the client cope with his feelings of loss?

A terminal patient asks the nurse if he could be given a deliberate overdose of medication that would "end this." According to the Code for Nurses, the nurse's most ethical response would be:

Directions: Correlate the behavior with KübIer-Ross's stages of dying from the choices below. "Go away, I don't want company. "