Question 1

During postmortem care,the patient's family says that the patient didn't have his dentures to place in his mouth.Which action should the nurse take at this time?

Accepted Answer

If there are no dentures to place in the mouth after death,a rolled-up towel will help keep the patient's mouth positioned appropriately.Cotton is not used by the nurse to maintain the patient's mouth position.The dentures are easiest to place in the mouth immediately after death.It could be hours to several days until the patient's body is taken to the funeral home,depending on whether an autopsy is done or not.The nurse should know what to implement regarding this situation.

Question 2

The family wants to see their family member who has just died.What actions by the nurse should be undertaken when the family comes to visit?

Accepted Answer

When a family suffers a loss,grief can make it difficult to gather coherent thoughts and questions.The nurse should let the family know that they can ask questions when they are ready.The patient should have already been cleaned,including having the hair combed and dentures placed if present.Any patient valuables should be given to the patient's family.If a wedding ring is to remain on the patient's finger,a thin strip of tape is placed over it.The nurse's role is to listen and support,not to talk unless in response to a need or question of the family.The focus is on the family experiencing the loss,not the nurse.

Question 3

The nurse provides postmortem care for an unfamiliar patient.Which approach should the nurse use to best care for the body after death?

Accepted Answer

To best prepare the patient's body after death,the nurse should exercise cultural sensitivity by inquiring about cultural or spiritual practices that the patient or family desires and implementing the practices to the best of the nurse's ability.If family members are present,they often assume the responsibility for these rituals.Depending on the circumstances surrounding the death and on state law,the nurse may be required to leave all equipment and supplies in place.The nurse must check before removing any tubes or lines.He or she implements proper postmortem care for any patient,which includes much more than covering the patient with a sheet.The nurse leaves the original patient ID band to ensure patient identification in the morgue.The postmortem kit usually contains additional tags for patient identification.

Question 4

2. _______ refers to a person's specific beliefs and behaviors associated with a religious tradition.

Accepted Answer

The answer of 2. _______ refers to a person's specific...

Question 5

The nurse is caring for a patient who is dying but is receiving palliative care.What reason should the nurse give to the patient's family for this type of care?

Accepted Answer

Palliative care focuses on symptom management,including pain control,to improve the quality of the patient's life up to death.Palliative care is not curative and does not eliminate all adverse symptoms; it does not necessarily increase the daily caloric and fluid intake nor is its focus to improve the patient's activity tolerance.

Question 6

The nurse wants to provide specialized nursing care for a patient with a serious degenerative illness that is not life threatening but for which there is no cure.Which approach would the nurse use in the care of this patient?

Accepted Answer

The nurse knows that palliative care enhances the quality of life for the patient at any time during serious illness and is helpful with a long-term chronic illness.Hospice care is holistic patient care that helps the patient and family prepare for death.A combination of hospice care and palliative care would be used for a patient who is dying.When a patient enters hospice care,there aer no further attempts to cure; rather the focus is on relief of adverse symptoms and promotion of the best quality of life possible for the remaining time a patient has.

Question 7

The patient is in the final stage of dying.Which action does the nurse implement?

Accepted Answer

The nurse elevates the head of the bed as tolerated to facilitate breathing; in addition,the patient looks more comfortable slightly elevated in bed,which can be comforting to the family.The nurse does not alter the temperature of the room.The patient may be more relaxed if the lighting is dim rather than brightly lit.Because urine production slows significantly as death approaches,urinary catheters are usually unnecessary.Patients eat less and less as death approaches; simple items such as ice chips,a teaspoon of tea,or an ice pop are usually sufficient.

Question 8

The nurse is explaining the similarities between palliative care and hospice care to the family of a patient.Which statement indicates a need for further education? (Select all that apply.)

Accepted Answer

The following are similarities between palliative care and hospice care:
Prioritize for quality of life and relief from pain and other distressing symptoms.
Integrate the physical,psychological,social,and spiritual dimensions into the care plan.
Affirm life and regard dying as a normal process.
Involve the patient and family as active participants in all decisions and care.
Rely on the expertise of an interdisciplinary team for planning and implementing care.
Appropriate for all patients,regardless of diagnosis,age,or setting.

Question 9

The nurse is explaining to the patient the transition phase from palliative care to hospice care.Which statement by the patient indicates a good understanding of the process?

Accepted Answer

As a patient's condition changes,the goals of care may shift away from curing an illness to care completely focused on symptom management and maintaining the highest possible quality of life.Ideally,patients who receive palliative care would move seamlessly into hospice care when they no longer benefit from curative treatments.They do not necessarily go to a hospice bed,and their pain management program may change but it may stay the same initially.The physician team may also be the same.

Question 10

The nurse plans nonpharmacological comfort measures for a patient who is dying.What activity should the nurse include for this type of comfort?

Accepted Answer

Patients near death can be incontinent; thus the nurse provides hygiene and skin care to enhance his or her appearance,provide comfort,and maintain dignity.Skin care should be with an alcohol-free lotion as needed because alcohol can dry out the skin and often a dying patient is not taking in much fluid.Unless the patient is unable to tolerate it,the nurse keeps him or her in semi-Fowler's position to facilitate breathing.The nurse administers adequate pain relief around the clock for the dying patient.Generally foods or liquids with a strong aroma tend to make a dying patient nauseated.

Question 11

The nurse is caring for a patient who just died.Which action should the nurse take first to determine if the patient is an organ or tissue donor?

Accepted Answer

The nurse needs to determine if patient is an organ/tissue donor.Federal law mandates that family members be given a chance to authorize organ/tissue donation.The nurse should then call the organ/tissue request and procurement team (consult facility policy).Discussing organ donation and obtaining consent are tasks that the nurse cannot delegate because they require clinical judgment and critical thinking skills and are usually done by a special team.A copy of the patient's driver's license can be impractical or impossible to obtain soon enough to donate viable organs; generally the family knows the patient's wishes about organ donation.If the spouse is the patient's legal representative,he or she can provide consent.

Question 12

The family of the patient receiving hospice care is at the bedside expecting an imminent death.They become upset when the patient suddenly becomes restless and disoriented.Which should the nurse implement as the patient advocate?

Accepted Answer

Restlessness and agitation are common patient assessments as death approaches and are part of the body's preparation for death.The nurse explains that the upsetting behavior occurs frequently in the dying process and provides actions for the family to implement.For restlessness and agitation,the family can massage the hands or feet or play soothing music.Oxygen by face mask can increase patient distress and impair any ability to communicate.The nurse avoids asking the family to leave the room.The nurse explains that the patient's behavior is very common,reflective more of the dying process than actual distress.The nurse administers pain medication according to the prescription.

Question 13

The nurse is caring for a patient who is dying.What should the nurse understand about grief that can facilitate family grieving?

Accepted Answer

Grief is a process that often begins before a patient dies.Survivors grieve as they anticipate a loss and continue to feel the grief after the patient dies.The nurse provides support,resources,information,and comfort based on the family's needs and desires.He or she usually allows the family to visit at will when a patient is near death so that the family can begin grieving and processing the events.Individuals process death and grieve in many different ways,and not everyone wants an opportunity to say good-bye; however,if a family member wishes to do so,the nurse facilitates the family's wishes.The nurse avoids becoming involved in the decision about the funeral home and declines to offer an opinion about available businesses; however,he or she can provide an area telephone book and a telephone for the family.

Question 14

1. ____________ refers to a dynamic dimension of human life,expressed in a person's search for meaning and hope.

Accepted Answer

The answer of 1. ____________ refers to a dynamic dimension...

Question 15

The nurse is caring for a Hindu patient receiving hospice care.Which does the nurse expect to facilitate for the family when the patient dies?

Accepted Answer

Hindu family members take an active role in preparing the body of a family member after death.Cremation,not burial,is traditional.Most likely the family will request the presence of a Brahmin priest who may chant prayers.A belief in reincarnation is held by those of the Hindu religion.

Quiz 30: Palliative Care