Exam 9: Palliative Care at End of Life

The nurse is caring for an unresponsive terminally ill patient who has 20-second periods of apnea followed by periods of deep and rapid breathing. Which action by the nurse would be appropriate?

Which patient should the nurse refer for hospice care?

A hospice nurse who has become close to a terminally ill patient is present in the home when the patient dies and feels saddened and tearful as the family members begin to cry. Which action should the nurse take at this time?

The nurse admits a terminally ill patient to the hospital. What is the first action that the nurse should complete when planning this patient's care?

A middle-aged patient tells the nurse,"My mother died 4 months ago,and I just can't get over it. I'm not sure it is normal to still think about her every day." Which nursing diagnosis is most appropriate?

The nurse is caring for a terminally ill patient who is experiencing continuous and severe pain. How should the nurse schedule the administration of opioid pain medications?

The nurse is caring for an adolescent patient who is dying. The patient's parents are interested in organ donation and ask the nurse how the health care providers determine brain death. Which response by the nurse accurately describes brain death determination?

Which nursing actions for the care of a dying patient can the nurse delegate to a licensed practical/vocational nurse (LPN/LVN)?

A patient in hospice is manifesting a decrease in all body system functions except for a heart rate of 124 beats/min and a respiratory rate of 28 breaths/min. Which statement,if made by the nurse to the patient's family member,is most appropriate?

Which action is most important for the nurse to take to ensure culturally competent care for an alert,terminally ill Filipino patient?

As the nurse admits a patient in end-stage renal disease to the hospital,the patient tells the nurse,"If my heart or breathing stop,I do not want to be resuscitated." Which action should the nurse take first?

A young adult patient with metastatic cancer,who is very close to death,appears restless. The patient keeps repeating,"I am not ready to die." Which action is best for the nurse to take?

The son of a dying patient tells the nurse,"Mother doesn't really respond any more when I visit. I don't think she knows that I am here." Which response by the nurse is appropriate?

A patient who has been diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer and has a poor prognosis plans a trip across the country "to settle some issues with family members." The nurse recognizes that the patient is manifesting which psychosocial response to death?

A patient with terminal cancer is being admitted to a family-centered inpatient hospice. The patient's spouse visits daily and cheerfully talks with the patient about wedding anniversary plans for the next year. When the nurse asks about any concerns,the spouse says,"I'm busy at work,but otherwise things are fine." Which provisional nursing diagnosis is appropriate for the patient's spouse?

The nurse is caring for a patient with lung cancer in a home hospice program. Which action by the nurse is appropriate?