Exam 42: Death and Loss

The nurse is caring for a female patient who died a few minutes previously. The patient's family comes in to the room and immediately starts to wash the body in preparation for burial. What is the most appropriate action of the nurse at this time?

The hospice nurse is caring for a patient who is terminally ill. The patient's wife is the primary caregiver, providing constant care and spending all of her time meeting his needs. The nurse applies the diagnosis of caregiver role strain to the patient's situation. After implementing appropriate interventions, which assessment finding by the nurse indicates that the primary goal for this diagnosis has been met?

The nurse is caring for a patient whose mother recently passed away. The patient states that she has not been able to concentrate or sleep since the funeral and is consuming increasing amounts of alcohol to get through each day. Which goal is most appropriate for this patient?

Which statement by the patient indicates that it may be an appropriate time to consider hospice care rather than further aggressive measures to treat his terminal illness?

The nurse is caring for a terminally ill patient who is actively dying and refuses to eat anything other than a few bites of ice cream. The patient's family member approaches the nurse and requests that a feeding tube be inserted so that her loved one will not starve to death. What is the best response of the nurse?

The nurse is caring for a patient who has just died in a motor vehicle accident. What is the priority action of the nurse before the patient's family arrives to see the patient's body?

The hospice nurse is caring for a terminally ill patient who will probably die within the next hour or two. The patient's daughter is keeping a vigil by the bedside and asks what she can do to help her father at this time. What is the appropriate response of the nurse?

The nurse is caring for a terminally ill patient whose children have come home to be with their mother during her last few days. They spend time looking through picture albums, watching old home movies, and remembering fun times spent together. Which term best describes the activity of the patient's children?

The nurse is caring for a terminally ill patient who appears to be calmly having a conversation with someone even though there is nobody else in the room. The patient reaches out and appears to take something out of thin air and hold it close. Which is the appropriate action of the nurse?

The hospice nurse is caring for a father and his children following the death of their mother. The father is having difficulty taking on the responsibilities and duties that were previously done by his wife, especially relating to and communicating with his teenage daughters. Which nursing diagnosis best describes the family's situation at this time?

The nurse is caring for a patient who is having difficulty coping after being in a motor vehicle accident in which her brother was killed. The patient was driving the car and blames herself for the accident. What is the priority nursing intervention of the nurse?

The nurse is caring for a patient who lost her husband 1 year ago. The patient and her husband had been married for 55 years. The patient no longer takes care of herself or cooks and rarely eats, stating she has no appetite. The nurse determines that the nursing diagnosis of Complicated grieving applies to the patient. Which is the priority goal for the patient at this time?

The nurse is caring for a patient who died a few minutes ago. The patient's family is at the bedside and very demonstrative in their grief, weeping loudly and holding on to the patient's body. What is the most appropriate action of the nurse?

The home care nurse is caring for a terminally ill patient who states that he wants to set up a scholarship in his name at the local university before he dies. What is the best action of the nurse?

The hospice nurse is caring for a terminally ill patient. The patient's son is distraught because the patient will probably die within the next few days and there is nothing he can do about it. What is the most appropriate nursing diagnosis for the patient's son at this time?

The nurse is caring for a young patient whose mother has only a few weeks to live. The patient has been misbehaving at school recently and is suspended after picking fights with other students and defying teachers. Which stage of grieving is the patient experiencing?

The hospice nurse is caring for a several adult children shortly after the death of their mother. They have various reactions as they deal with their loss. Which reactions are considered to be in the cognitive domain?

The nurse is caring for a patient who is terminally ill with metastatic bone cancer. The patient tells the nurse that he is not afraid of death but does not want to be in pain and suffer before he dies. Which intervention will be most appropriate to meet this patient's wishes?

The nurse is caring for an emergency room patient who died as a result of a mishap with a loaded gun. The patient's body will be transported to the coroner's office for an autopsy. Which items will the nursing staff remove from the body before it leaves the hospital?

The nurse is caring for a male Islamic patient who has just died. Which action is the priority for the nurse to take when postmortem care is provided?