A hospice nurse is visiting with the son of a client who has terminal cancer. The son reports sleeping very little during the past week due to caring for his mother. Which of the following responses should the nurse make?
“I can give you information about respite care if you are interested.”.
“You should consider taking a sleeping pill before bed each night.”.
“I am sure you’re doing a great job taking care of your mother.”.
“It is always difficult caring for someone who is terminally ill.”.
The Correct Answer is A
Respite care is a service that provides short-term inpatient care for terminally-ill patients at a professional care facility, such as a hospital, hospice inpatient care facility, or nursing home. It is meant to relieve caregiver stress and offer them rest and time away from caregiving duties. Respite care is covered by Medicare for up to five consecutive days and no more than one respite period in a single billing period.
The nurse should offer this option to the son who is experiencing sleep deprivation due to caring for his mother.
Choice B is wrong because it suggests that the son should rely on medication to cope with his situation, which may not be appropriate or effective.
Sleeping pills may have side effects or interactions with other drugs, and they do not address the underlying cause of the son’s stress and fatigue.
Choice C is wrong because it does not acknowledge the son’s need for support or assistance. It may sound like an empty compliment or a dismissal of the son’s concerns.
The nurse should express empathy and compassion, but also provide information and resources that can help the son.
Choice D is wrong because it does not offer any solution or guidance to the son.
It may also sound like a cliché or a generalization that does not reflect the son’s unique experience.
The nurse should avoid making assumptions or judgments about the son’s feelings or situation, and instead focus on his needs and preferences.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
A vertebroplasty is a procedure that injects cement into a fractured vertebra to help relieve pain and stabilize the spine. The recovery time for this procedure is usually short and the complications are rare.
Therefore, this client is most likely to be stable and ready for early discharge.
Choice A is wrong because a client who is receiving heparin for deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) needs close monitoring of their blood levels and clotting factors. Heparin is a blood thinner that prevents the clots from getting bigger or breaking loose and traveling to the lungs, which can cause a life-threatening condition called pulmonary embolism (PE).
This client is not a good candidate for early discharge.
Choice C is wrong because a client who has cancer and a sealed implant for radiation therapy needs to be isolated in a special room to prevent exposure of others to radiation. A sealed implant is a smallholder that contains a radioactive source that is placed inside or near the tumor to deliver high doses of radiation. This type of internal radiation therapy, also called brachytherapy, can last from several minutes to several days, depending on the type and dose of the radioactive source.
This client is not a good candidate for early discharge.
Choice D is wrong because a client who has COPD and a respiratory rate of 44/min has signs of respiratory distress and possible hypoxemia (low oxygen levels in the blood).
COP
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
Administer sublingual nitroglycerin.
Nitroglycerin is a vasodilator that can relieve chest pain caused by myocardial ischemia. The nurse should administer it as soon as possible to improve blood flow to the heart and reduce the risk of myocardial infarction. The nurse should also monitor the client’s blood pressure and heart rate after giving nitroglycerin, as it can cause hypotension and reflex tachycardia.
Choice A is wrong because checking a STAT cardiac troponin is not the first priority.
Cardiac troponin is a biomarker that indicates myocardial injury, but it may not rise until several hours after the onset of chest pain.
Therefore, it is not useful for immediate diagnosis or treatment of acute coronary syndrome. Choice B is wrong because requesting a prescription for a beta-blocker is not the first priority.
Beta-blockers are medications that can lower blood pressure and heart rate, and reduce the oxygen demand of the heart.
They can prevent or reduce the recurrence of chest pain and complications of acute coronary syndrome, but they are not indicated for immediate relief of chest pain.
Choice D is wrong because administering oxygen is not the first priority.
Oxygen therapy can increase the oxygen supply to the heart and reduce ischemia, but it is not necessary for all clients with chest pain.
Oxygen therapy should be based on the client’s oxygen saturation level and clinical condition.
If the client’s oxygen saturation is normal or high, oxygen therapy may not be beneficial and may even be harmful.
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