Deck 4: Nursing Care of People Experiencing Loss, Grief, and Death

Question 1

A man who recently lost his spouse states, 'I just can't cry for my wife.' What is the husband at risk of developing?

A)Psychological issues.
B)Depression.
C)Ambivalence.
D)Somatic symptoms.

Answer 1

Somatic symptoms.

Question 2

Which of the following may be a consideration with regard to death and dying in Indigenous Australian culture?

A)The deceased need to be buried shortly after death.
B)Family members may prefer to bathe the body after death.
C)The mourning period is usually very short.
D)Indigenous people often need sufficient space to gather together to facilitate grieving and bereavement.

Answer 2

Indigenous people often need sufficient space to gather together to facilitate grieving and bereavement.

Question 3

A person tells the nurse, 'My husband left me to be with God.' What is this person demonstrating?

A)A cultural rite related to death.
B)An ethnic difference in the way in which death is expressed.
C)Bargaining.
D)Denial.

Answer 3

An ethnic difference in the way in which death is expressed.

Question 4

The spouse of a deceased woman tells the nurse that he has joined a support group to help cope with the loss of his wife. This person is in which phase of Engel's grief process?

A)Long term.
B)Acute.
C)Restitution.
D)Acceptance.

Question 5

The family of a dying person states, 'She must be in pain because all she does is moan.' The statement reflects the family is doing which of the following?

A)Considering this to be a sign the person is recovering.
B)Asking for more pain medication for the person.
C)Not understanding that moaning can be a sign of agitation.
D)Expressing their anger.

Question 6

A recently widowed woman states, 'I wanted to ask him for a divorce and then he died.' This person is at risk of which of the following?

A)Accelerated grief reaction.
B)A dysfunctional grief reaction.
C)A typical grief reaction process.
D)Psychosomatic disorders.

Question 7

A person who had a below-the-knee amputation two months ago is seen walking with a new limb prosthesis and returning to work. Which describes this person's emotional state? The person:

A)has completed the work of mourning the loss of his leg.
B)is in denial.
C)is having difficulty manifesting grief.
D)is attempting to postpone the reality of the loss of his limb.

Question 8

The youngest child of a person who died continues to receive communication and telephone calls from the hospice organisation during the six months after the death. What is the hospice providing?

A)Bereavement care.
B)Routine follow-up calls.
C)Constant reminders of his loss.
D)Actions requested by his mother.

Question 9

A nurse who provided care for a terminally ill person does not want to spend any time with the grieving family and begins to provide care for another person. What is this nurse demonstrating?

A)Acceptance.
B)Blunting.
C)Detachment.
D)Empathy.

Question 10

A woman states, 'My husband is the person you should talk with if I am not able to make decisions about my care.' The husband has been identified as which of the following?

A)The person who has his wife's living will.
B)The healthcare surrogate.
C)The person with the enduring power of attorney.
D)The wife's advocate.

Question 11

A preoperative person says to the nurse, 'I hope I wake up after surgery; I don't know what my family would do if I died.' This person is demonstrating which nursing diagnosis?

A)Death anxiety.
B)Chronic sorrow.
C)Coping.
D)Anticipatory grieving.

Question 12

A woman who has just lost her husband asks the nurse how long it will be until she feels like living again. The nurse realises this woman has to work through which of the phases of the grieving process according to Bowlby? (Select all that apply.)

A)Detachment.
B)Despair.
C)Protest.
D)Restitution.

Question 13

A nurse is having difficulty with the spouse of a dying person. The reason for the difficulty is later found to be the fact that the nurse's spouse died two years ago. Which of the following would best help this person, the spouse and the nurse?

A)Reassign the nurse to care for another person.
B)Suggest that the nurse access websites to help with the inability to be supportive of the person's and spouse's needs at this time.
C)Nothing, as this is a normal response.
D)Discharge the person to be cared for at home by the spouse.

Question 14

A person tells the nurse, 'I dread going on after the divorce is final. I have no idea how I am going to manage financially or emotionally.' The nurse realises this person is demonstrating which aspect of Caplan's stress and loss theory?

A)Reduced problem-solving ability.
B)Despair.
C)Psychic pain.
D)Living without the assets and guidance.

Question 15

The brother of a terminally ill person states, 'I'll donate money to the hospital that cures my brother.' The nurse realises this statement is indicative of which phase of Kubler-Ross's stages of grief?

A)Denial.
B)Anger.
C)Detachment.
D)Bargaining.

Question 16

A recently widowed woman is seen wearing dark clothing and dark glasses and carrying her late husband's coffee cup. What is this woman demonstrating?

A)A normal response to a loss.
B)Morbid fixation.
C)Exaggerated grief response.
D)Joy.

Question 17

A nurse has accepted a change in employment and is found crying. What is this nurse demonstrating?

A)Grief.
B)Stress.
C)Ambivalence.
D)Relief.

Question 18

The family of a dying person experiencing a worsening of breathing wants to help. Which of the following can the nurse instruct the family to provide for the person?

A)Suction the person as much as possible.
B)Perform frequent chest physiotherapy.
C)Raise the head of the bed.
D)Place the person's head on one pillow.

Question 19

A dying person tells the nurse, 'Don't let my family leave me.' What is this person demonstrating?

A)Fear of dying alone.
B)An anticipation of improvement in health.
C)Denial about his eventual death.
D)The desire to prolong life.

Question 20

Which of the following relates to Freud's theory of loss and grief?

A)There is a restitution phase of the grieving process in which mourning is institutionalised.
B)Living without the assets and guidance of the lost person or resource can influence the person's ability to deal with a loss.
C)The bargaining stage serves as an attempt to postpone the reality of the loss.
D)The inability to grieve can result in depression.

Question 21

A person who had a below-the-knee amputation two months ago is seen walking with a new limb prosthesis and returning to work. Which of the following is true about this person?

A)The person has completed the work of mourning the loss of his leg.
B)The person is in denial.
C)The person is having difficulty manifesting grief.
D)The person is attempting to postpone the reality of the loss of the limb.

Question 22

A dying person tells the nurse, 'Don't let my family leave me.' What does this statement indicate?

A)Fear of dying alone.
B)An anticipation of improvement in health.
C)Denial about their eventual death.
D)The desire to prolong life.

Question 23

The family of a dying person experiencing a worsening of breathing wants to help. Which of the following can the nurse instruct the family to provide for the person?

A)Encourage the person to eat.
B)Perform frequent chest physical therapy.
C)Raise the head of the bed.
D)Place the person on his left side.

Question 24

A nurse is caring for a critically ill person and witnesses the person's death. What is an appropriate response by this nurse?

A)Express empathy and caring for the family.
B)Assign another nurse to provide post-mortem care for the person.
C)Ask the family to leave the room immediately.
D)Tell the family that the person is in a better place now.