Deck 16: Palliative Care

Question 1

The nurse recognizes that anticipatory grieving can be most beneficial for a patient or family because it can:

A)be done in a private setting.
B)be discussed with other individuals.
C)promote separation of the ill patient from the family.
D)allow time for the process of grief.

Answer 1

allow time for the process of grief.

Question 2

When caring for a patient who is an appropriate candidate for organ or tissue donation, the nurse knows that requests for donation are:

A)required by state law.
B)the total responsibility of the survivors.
C)a possible inclusion in the advance directive.
D)made only by the physician.

Answer 2

a possible inclusion in the advance directive.

Question 3

An appropriate technique for the nurse to implement when caring for a patient's body after death is to:

A)remove the patient's ID band and put a new gown on the patient.
B)cover the patient with a sheet and transfer him or her to the morgue.
C)inquire about particular cultural or spiritual practices.
D)remove tubes and lines if the patient is to be autopsied.

Answer 3

inquire about particular cultural or spiritual practices.

Question 4

For a patient in the final stages of dying, a nurse expects to:

A)keep the patient's room cool.
B)avoid catheterizing the patient.
C)elevate the head of the bed as tolerated.
D)encourage the patient to eat and drink more.

Question 5

The nurse is preparing to assist the patient at the end stage of her life.To provide comfort for the patient in response to anticipated symptom development, the nurse plans to:

A)decrease the patient's fluid intake.
B)limit the use of pain medication.
C)provide larger meals with more seasoning.
D)determine patient wishes and select appropriate therapies.

Question 6

A nurse-initiated or independent activity for promotion of respiratory function in a terminally ill patient is to:

A)limit PO fluid intake.
B)position the patient in semi-Fowler's or Fowler's position.
C)reduce narcotic analgesic use.
D)administer bronchodilators.

Question 7

___________________ specify medical interventions that the patient does not want in certain situations, such as mechanical ventilation, and are used to communicate the care a patient wants, for example, pain relief to the fullest extent possible.

Question 8

After the death of a patient and before other nursing interventions are implemented, the nurse should:

A)place the patient in a supine position and elevate the head of the bed 30 degrees.
B)wait an hour to prepare the patient for viewing.
C)place the patient in a side-lying position to allow drainage.
D)exclude the family while the body is being prepared.

Question 9

_____________ helps people live as well as possible through the dying process.

Question 10

Hospice benefits include which of the following? (Select all that apply.)

A)Respite for family caregivers
B)Hospitalization for acute symptom management
C)Emotional and psychological support
D)Financial assistance and funeral arrangement

Question 11

The patient was a practicing Hindu when he died.Knowing this, the nurse realizes that:

A)the body should be covered with a cotton sheet.
B)anointing of the sick is performed even after death.
C)family members often prefer to wash the body after death.
D)the body should be buried within 24 hours.

Question 12

A new staff member is working with a patient who is dying.A nurse evaluates that this new employee requires additional teaching when he or she is observed:

A)limiting the family's visiting hours.
B)staying with the patient and family as much as possible.
C)finding a quiet place for family members to gather.
D)asking the family if they would like to help with preparing the body.

Question 13

The patient is being admitted to the hospital for injuries received when a hurricane destroyed her home.She is upset from the loss of her home and possessions.What type of loss is this considered?

A)Necessary loss
B)Maturational loss
C)Situational loss
D)Perceived loss

Question 14

The patient has a history of terminal cancer but is being admitted for treatment of a pressure ulcer.The patient's wife has been caring for him at home and refuses to discuss admission to a nursing home.The wife looks extremely tired and is near the point of exhaustion.What could the nurse suggest?

A)A consult for hospice care
B)Continuing with the plan of care as is
C)That the doctor order the patient into a nursing home
D)That the wife stay away while the patient is hospitalized

Question 15

A person experiences an actual _________ when an object or a person can no longer be felt, heard, or experienced.

Question 16

Hospice care can be provided in which of the following settings? (Select all that apply.)

A)Home
B)Free-standing hospice facilities
C)Extended care facilities
D)Acute care facilities
E)None of above

Question 17

Before allowing the family of a deceased patient to view the body, the nurse should:

A)insert the patient's dentures.
B)lower the head of the bed.
C)fold the arms and hands over the chest.
D)leave all of the old dressings and tape in place.

Question 18

The patient is on a ventilator and has a heartbeat but has been declared "brain dead." The family has agreed to organ donation.The nurse realizes that which of the following organ donations would require that the patient be left on life support?

A)Eyes
B)Bone
C)Kidney
D)Skin

Question 19

The World Health Organization (2002) defines ___________ as an "approach that improves the quality of life of individuals and their families facing life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other physical, psychological, and spiritual problems."

Question 20

Nurses provide _______________ that is defined as care of the body after death in a manner consistent with the patient's religious and cultural beliefs.

Question 21

An _______________ is the surgical dissection of a body after death.

Question 22

The patient was brought into the emergency department with a cardiac arrest after suffering multiple gunshot wounds.The patient did not survive even after multiple attempts at resuscitation.The nurse is preparing the body for transport to the morgue by completing hospital procedures for __________________.

Question 23

The irreversible absence of all brain function is termed ______________.