A client requests to die at home in a familiar setting, and hospice care is initiated.
Which initial action by a hospice nurse would best support family coping?
Coordinating care when and if the client needs to be readmitted to the hospital.
Provide 24-hour home care to meet the daily basic care needs of the client.
Telling the family about the bereavement visits made after the death of the client.
Explaining the roles of all interdisciplinary team members involved in hospice.
The Correct Answer is D
The scenario requires applying family systems theory and interdisciplinary communication principles within hospice care. Effective coping begins by clarifying the support structure available to the family, necessitating an understanding of how various professional roles function to alleviate the burden of end of life care.
Choice A rationale
Planning for hospital readmission contradicts the primary goal of hospice, which focuses on maintaining a comfortable home death. Focusing on hospitalization initially can create anxiety and undermine the family's confidence in managing the client's care at home.
Choice B rationale
Hospice typically provides intermittent visits rather than continuous 24-hour home care. Suggesting the nurse will meet all daily basic needs is unrealistic and provides false expectations, which can negatively impact the family's long-term ability to cope with caregiving.
Choice C rationale
While bereavement support is a standard component of hospice services, discussing post-death visits during the initial assessment is premature. Families need immediate support strategies and role clarity to manage the active dying process before focusing on aftercare services.
Choice D rationale
Clarifying the roles of the interdisciplinary team empowers the family by identifying specific resources for physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. This foundational knowledge reduces uncertainty, establishes a support network, and is the essential first step in facilitating effective coping.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
Educating a patient with atrial fibrillation requires applying knowledge of cardiac hemodynamics and the coagulation cascade. The nurse must focus on how ineffective atrial contractions lead to blood stasis, increasing the probability of clot formation and subsequent systemic embolization.
Choice A rationale
Atrial fibrillation does not directly cause hyperglycemia. While the stress of an acute arrhythmia might slightly elevate blood glucose due to cortisol release, it is not a primary complication or a major risk specifically linked to this rhythm.
Choice B rationale
Diabetic retinopathy is a microvascular complication resulting from chronic poor glucose control over many years. It is not exacerbated or caused by the onset of atrial fibrillation, which is a macrovascular and electrical conduction issue of the heart.
Choice C rationale
In atrial fibrillation, the atria quiver instead of contracting effectively, allowing blood to pool in the left atrial appendage. This stasis leads to thrombus formation; if a clot dislodges, it can travel to the brain.
Choice D rationale
Diabetic ketoacidosis is typically triggered by infection, insulin omission, or extreme physiological stress in Type 1 diabetics. While an arrhythmia is a stressor, the most specific and dangerous direct risk of atrial fibrillation remains systemic thromboembolism
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
Circumferential burns to the chest create an inelastic band of eschar. Knowledge of respiratory mechanics and surgical emergencies is needed to identify when tissue tension prevents lung expansion, necessitating an immediate procedure to restore adequate ventilation and oxygenation.
Choice A rationale
Chest tube insertion is utilized to drain air or fluid from the pleural space. While it helps with lung expansion in a pneumothorax, it does not treat the external constriction caused by burnt, leathery tissue on the chest.
Choice B rationale
Cricothyrotomy is an emergency airway procedure used when intubation is impossible. Since the client is already intubated, the issue is not airway patency but rather the physical inability of the chest wall to expand against the eschar.
Choice C rationale
Thoracentesis is the removal of fluid from the pleural cavity via needle aspiration. This does not address the restrictive external pressure caused by circumferential, full-thickness burns that are inhibiting the mechanical rise and fall of the thorax.
Choice D rationale
An escharotomy involves making incisions through the burnt tissue to relieve pressure. This procedure allows the chest wall to expand, restoring adequate ventilation when circumferential eschar acts like a tourniquet around the patient's torso and lungs..
Whether you are a student looking to ace your exams or a practicing nurse seeking to enhance your expertise , our nursing education contents will empower you with the confidence and competence to make a difference in the lives of patients and become a respected leader in the healthcare field.
Visit Naxlex, invest in your future and unlock endless possibilities with our unparalleled nursing education contents today
Report Wrong Answer on the Current Question
Do you disagree with the answer? If yes, what is your expected answer? Explain.
Kindly be descriptive with the issue you are facing.