The nurse is caring for an older-adult client who has diagnosed with esophageal cancer and the client tells the nurse, "I know that my chances are not very good, but I do not feel ready to die yet." Which of the following responses by the nurse is best?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This response is open-ended and will encourage the client to further discuss feelings of anxiety or sadness about the diagnosis. Clients with esophageal cancer have only a low survival rate, so the response "You may have quite a few years still left to live" is misleading. The response beginning, "Thinking about dying" indicates that the nurse is not open to discussing the client's fears of dying. And the response beginning, "It is important that you be realistic," discourages the client from feeling hopeful, which is important to clients with any life-threatening diagnosis.

The Nurse Is Caring for an Older-Adult Client Who Has