A patient with newly diagnosed lung cancer tells the nurse, "I think I am going to die pretty soon, maybe this week." The best response by the nurse is

Question

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The nurse's initial response should be to collect more assessment data about the patient's statement. The answer beginning "Can you tell me what it is" is the most open-ended question and will offer the best opportunity for obtaining more data. The answer beginning, "Are you afraid" implies that the patient thinks that the cancer will be immediately fatal, although the patient's statement may not be related to the cancer diagnosis. The remaining two answers offer interventions that may be helpful to the patient, but more assessment is needed to determine whether these interventions are appropriate.

A Patient with Newly Diagnosed Lung Cancer Tells the Nurse