Nokea
The partner of a patient in hospice care angrily tells the nurse, 'The care provided by the aide and other family members is inadequate, so I must do everything myself. Can't anyone do anything right?' How best should the palliative care nurse respond?
- A. Providing teaching about anticipatory grieving
- B. Assigning new personnel to the patient's care
- C. Arranging hospitalization for the patient
- D. Refer the partner for crisis counseling
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The behaviors described in this scenario are consistent with anticipatory grieving. The spouse needs to be taught about the process of anticipatory grieving.
You may also like to solve these questions
Which actions by a nurse contribute to protecting the rights of patients who are terminally ill? (Select all that apply.)
- A. Maintain hope for a positive prognosis.
- B. Hug the patient when sadness is expressed.
- C. Offer choices that promote personal control.
- D. Provide interventions that convey respect.
- E. Support the patient's quest for spiritual growth.
Correct Answer: C,D,E
Rationale: The answers support the rights of the individual who is dying. Offering choices, providing respectful interventions, and supporting spiritual growth respect the patient's autonomy and dignity.
A person whose spouse died 2 years earlier tells friends, 'I think I'm ready to start going out socially, maybe even take someone to dinner.' What does this comment best demonstrate about the individual's state of mind?
- A. Is denying the significance of the loss.
- B. Is in a period of grief resolution.
- C. Is actively working through grief.
- D. Is experiencing intrusion.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Toward the end of the grief process, the person renews his or her interest in people and activities. This behavior indicates resolution.
A nurse cared for a terminally ill patient for over a month and always looked forward to spending time with the patient. When the patient died, the nurse experienced sadness and felt mildly depressed. Eventually, the nurse explains these feelings to a mentor. What should be the mentor's focus when counseling the nurse?
- A. Implementing stress-reduction strategies
- B. Seeking therapy for dysfunctional grief
- C. Discussing the experience of disenfranchised grief
- D. Considering taking a leave of absence to pursue healing
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The nurse is experiencing disenfranchised grief, which is not openly acknowledged or publicly mourned.
After her husband died of heart failure, a wife approaches the nurse who cared for her husband. In the hospital hallway, the wife shouts angrily, 'He'd still be alive if you'd given him your undivided attention!' Which response should the nurse implement?
- A. I understand you're feeling upset. Let's go to our conference room, and I'll stay with you until your family comes.'
- B. Your husband's heart was severely damaged and could no longer pump. There's nothing anyone could have done.'
- C. I will call the nursing supervisor to discuss this matter with you.'
- D. It will be all right if you cry. Crying is a normal grief response.'
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: When a bereaved family member behaves in a disturbed manner, the nurse should show patience and tact while offering sympathy and warmth. Moving the individual to a private area so as not to disturb others is important.
Children of a widowed parent confer with the nurse; their surviving parent repeatedly relates the details of finding the deceased parent not breathing, performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation, going to the hospital by ambulance, and seeing the pronouncement of death. The family asks, 'What can we do?' How should the nurse best counsel the family?
- A. Encouraging them to share their own feelings with the surviving parent and ask for the retelling to stop
- B. Support the ideas that retelling the story should be limited to once daily to avoid unnecessary stimulation
- C. Share with them that retelling memories is to be expected as part of the aging process
- D. Reassure them that repeating the story is a helpful and a necessary part of grieving
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Nurses are encouraged to tell bereaved patients that telling the personal story of loss as many times as needed is acceptable and healthy.