A nurse in an acute care facility is caring for a preschool-age child who is terminally ill and receiving palliative care. The parents tell the nurse that they have decided to take their child home. Which of the following responses should the nurse make?

A. Staying positive and optimistic at all times may not be realistic or helpful when supporting grieving patients and families. It's essential for the nurse to acknowledge and validate the range of emotions experienced by individuals who are grieving, which may include sadness, anger, and despair.

B. While understanding theories of grief can be beneficial, it is not the most crucial aspect of providing effective support. Empathy, active listening, and validation of emotions are often more important in supporting grieving individuals.

C. Keeping a professional distance from the situation may hinder the nurse's ability to provide empathetic and compassionate care. While maintaining professionalism is important, forming a therapeutic relationship often requires a degree of emotional closeness and empathy.

D. Coming to terms with his or her own view of death is essential for providing effective support to grieving patients and families. Nurses who have unresolved issues or fears related to death may struggle to provide empathetic and supportive care to individuals who are grieving. Personal reflection and self-awareness can help nurses manage their own emotions and biases, allowing them to better support others during times of grief.

A. Of this type is not curative and may help reduce the pain he is experiencing: This response provides accurate information about the purpose of palliative radiation therapy for bony metastases. It acknowledges the patient's concerns about treatment not curing the cancer while emphasizing the potential benefit of radiation therapy in reducing pain and improving quality of life.

B. Will be used as a single treatment measure. Previous medications will be discontinued: This statement is inaccurate and may cause confusion for the patient. Palliative radiation therapy is often used in conjunction with other pain management strategies, and discontinuing previous medications without a proper assessment and plan may not be appropriate.

C. May disqualify him from receiving hospice care: This statement is incorrect. Receiving palliative radiation therapy does not automatically disqualify a patient from hospice care. Hospice care focuses on providing comfort and support to terminally ill patients, and decisions about treatments such as radiation therapy are made based on the patient's goals and preferences.

D. May halt the metastatic process: Palliative radiation therapy is not typically used with the intention of halting the metastatic process. Its primary goal is to alleviate symptoms such as pain and improve the patient's quality of life. While radiation therapy may shrink tumors in some cases, it is not considered a curative treatment for metastatic cancer.