Nokea
A 12-year-old boy is in the final phase of dying from leukemia. He tells the nurse who is giving him opiates for pain that his grandfather is waiting for him. How should the nurse interpret this situation?
- A. The boy is experiencing side effects of the opiates.
- B. The boy is making an attempt to comfort his parents.
- C. He is experiencing hallucinations resulting from brain anoxia.
- D. He is demonstrating readiness and acceptance that death is near.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Visions of loved ones, like the grandfather, are common near death and indicate the child?s acceptance and lack of fear. These are not opiate side effects, attempts to comfort parents, or due to brain anoxia, as there?s no evidence of hypoxia.
You may also like to solve these questions
A 7-year-old child is in the end stages of cancer. The parents ask you how they will know when death is imminent. What physical sign is indicative of approaching death?
- A. Hunger
- B. Tachycardia
- C. Increased thirst
- D. Difficulty swallowing
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Difficulty swallowing is a physical sign of approaching death, reflecting declining bodily functions. Appetite and fluid intake decrease, and the pulse slows, not quickens, in the final stages.
A preschooler is found digging up a pet bird that was recently buried after it died. What is the best explanation for this behavior?
- A. He has a morbid preoccupation with death.
- B. He is looking to see if a ghost took it away.
- C. He needs reassurance that the pet has not gone somewhere else.
- D. The loss is not yet resolved, and professional counseling is needed.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Preschoolers struggle with the permanence of death and may dig up the pet to confirm its presence, a normal developmental response. This is not a morbid preoccupation, not about ghosts, and does not immediately indicate a need for counseling unless persistent.
A school-age child is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. The parents want to protect their child from knowing the seriousness of the illness. The nurse should provide which explanation?
- A. This attitude is helpful to give parents time to cope.
- B. This will help the child cope effectively by denial.
- C. Terminally ill children know when they are seriously ill.
- D. Terminally ill children usually choose not to discuss the seriousness of their illness.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Children, even young ones, sense the seriousness of their illness due to increased medical attention, making honesty essential. Denial is an ineffective coping mechanism, protecting the child does not primarily serve parental coping, and children may want to discuss their condition if given the opportunity.
A 12-year-old child has failed several courses of chemotherapy. An experimental drug is available that his parents want him to receive. He has told his parents and the oncologists that he is ready to die and does not want any more chemotherapy. The nurse recognizes what to be true?
- A. Parents and child both need support in the decision making.
- B. Twelve-year-olds are minors and cannot give consent or refuse treatments.
- C. The oncologists needs to make the decision because the parents and child disagree.
- D. The parents have the right and responsibility to make decisions for their children younger than age 18 years.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Supporting both parents and child in resolving this conflict respects the child?s autonomy, especially given the poor prognosis. Twelve-year-olds can assent or refuse under certain conditions, oncologists guide but don?t decide, and parental authority may be limited if the child?s decision is informed and verified.
When is an autopsy required?
- A. In the case of a suspected suicide
- B. When a person has a known terminal illness
- C. With a hospice patient who dies at home
- D. With the victim of a motor vehicle collision
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: An autopsy is required in cases of suspected suicide, unexplained, or violent deaths to determine the cause. It is optional for terminal illnesses, hospice deaths, or motor vehicle collisions unless the cause is unclear, and family consent may be sought.