A patient has just learned that all possible treatments for his disease have been exhausted,and it will likely claim his life within the next month.He is alert,has full control of his motor abilities,and is comfortable.He tells the nurse he cannot bear to leave his 11- and 13-year-old children when they are so young,that they seem so upset by his condition they change the topic when he brings it up,that he does not know how to talk with them,and yet he has so many things he has to say to them while there is still time.Which option would be most helpful for the nurse to endorse?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Writing down thoughts and feelings can be a very helpful means of expressing oneself when speaking them aloud is difficult.It allows one to carefully compose and edit them until they truly reflect what is going on inside the person and to contemplate and adjust them over time.The act of writing down feelings can also help one process them and reduce the anxiety present about sharing these feelings aloud.In this situation,even if the patient's time ends before he can communicate his thoughts and feelings to the children orally,the journals will serve to pass along important reflections and give the children an opportunity to reread them when they are older and more mature.The other options may be of value as well but lack the benefits noted with journaling.Pressing the children to talk may increase their anxiety and distress,leading to further withdrawal at a time when there is so little time remaining to be together.Prayer is a culturally sensitive intervention that may or may not be acceptable to the patient's sensibilities and may or may not lead to the answers he seeks.

A Patient Has Just Learned That All Possible Treatments for His