Question 1

Which of the following types of health care is generally for people who will die in six or less?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Hospice care is designed for patients with a terminal illness and a life expectancy of about 6 months or less when the focus shifts from curative treatment to comfort-focused care. It emphasizes symptom management, psychosocial support, and quality of life for the patient and family. Long-term care and outpatient care are not defined by a terminal prognosis, and inter-generational care is not a standard end-of-life health care level.

Question 2

Which of the following healthcare settings is generally for people who will die in six months or less?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Hospice care is designed for patients with a terminal illness who are expected to live about 6 months or less if the disease runs its usual course. The focus is on comfort, symptom control, and quality of life rather than curative treatment. Long-term care is for ongoing assistance with chronic conditions, outpatient care is episodic without admission, and acute care treats short-term severe illness or injury.

Question 3

When a resident is dying, which sense is lost last?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: At end of life, hearing is typically the last sense to diminish, even when the patient appears unresponsive. This is why clinicians encourage family and staff to continue speaking calmly, offering reassurance, and explaining care. Taste and smell usually decline earlier due to reduced intake, decreased perfusion, and neurologic changes. Vision also commonly fades earlier as consciousness decreases.

Question 4

A client has passed away, and the wife of the client tells the nurse that the client is an organ donor and that his eyes are to be donated. Which action should the nurse take next?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Immediate postmortem care for planned corneal/eye donation focuses on preserving tissue viability by cooling the eyes and minimizing edema. Elevating the head helps reduce facial and ocular swelling that can compromise retrieval. The other options delay preservation or propose actions that are not the nurse’s next priority and may be handled through established organ procurement processes.

Question 5

Who would you speak with in end-of-life care?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: The patient is the primary decision-maker as long as they have decision-making capacity, so communication should begin directly with them to assess understanding, values, and preferences. This supports autonomy, ensures goals-of-care discussions reflect the patient’s wishes, and prevents undue influence from others. Relatives should be involved only with the patient’s consent or if the patient lacks capacity and a surrogate decision-maker is legally indicated.

Question 6

A client with end-stage heart failure is being discharged on hospice care. Which is the nurse's priority goal?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Hospice care prioritizes palliative, patient-centered goals focused on quality of life rather than curative or life-prolonging treatment. For end-stage heart failure, the nurse’s primary goal is to relieve distressing symptoms such as dyspnea, fatigue, pain, and anxiety while supporting the patient and family. Interventions like strict intake/output tracking or improving exercise tolerance may be used only if they contribute to comfort. Pursuing new therapies to prolong survival is generally inconsistent with the hospice focus unless aligned with comfort goals.

Question 7

Scenario: A patient has been pronounced dead. Q. What action is part of postmortem care?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: After death, postmortem care includes preparing the body respectfully and preserving evidence when indicated. In the absence of an autopsy, invasive lines and tubes are typically removed to allow cleaning, positioning, and viewing, and to prevent leakage. If an autopsy is planned or legally required, tubes and lines are usually left in place and the body is treated as a potential forensic case. Administering medications or initiating CPR is not appropriate once death has been pronounced, and leaving the body unattended is not a standard postmortem-care step.

Question 8

At the end of life, many people have a fear of ...?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: A common psychosocial concern in dying patients is fear of isolation and abandonment, which can worsen anxiety and suffering if not addressed. This option directly reflects a frequent end-of-life fear that nursing interventions target through presence, family involvement, and supportive communication. In contrast, “acceptance” is generally a desired coping outcome rather than a typical fear. Recognizing this fear guides the nurse to prioritize companionship, facilitate visitation, and strengthen support systems.

Question 9

A client who is terminally ill has been receiving high doses of an opioid analgesic for the past month. As death approaches and the client becomes unresponsive to verbal stimuli, what orders would the nurse expect from the health care provider?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Unresponsiveness does not reliably indicate absence of pain, and abrupt dose reduction or stopping can precipitate uncontrolled symptoms and withdrawal. With a month of high-dose therapy, physiologic tolerance is expected, making “less potent” or dose halving unlikely to maintain comfort. Ongoing assessment focuses on signs of distress (grimacing, tachypnea, restlessness) and adverse effects, but the priority remains comfort-focused symptom management.

Question 10

After the death of a client, the family approaches the nurse and requests that a family member be allowed to perform a ritual bath on the deceased prior to moving the body. The appropriate response by the nurse is?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Respect for cultural and spiritual practices at end of life is a core nursing responsibility as long as it is safe and does not conflict with legal requirements. This response is therapeutic, family-centered, and supports grief needs by facilitating the ritual promptly before the body is moved. It also appropriately positions the nurse to assess any assistance, supplies, or privacy needs while maintaining dignity and infection control. In contrast, delaying or refusing the request without assessment is nontherapeutic and can intensify distress; checking policy can be done while still expressing willingness to support the family’s practice.

Question 11

A Hindu patient dies after a long, drawn-out battle with pancreatic cancer. The family is gathered by the bedside. The most appropriate interventions if offered by the nurse is ________?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: End-of-life nursing care includes supporting culturally and spiritually meaningful practices as long as they are safe and acceptable to the family. In many Hindu traditions, positioning the dying/deceased person with the head toward the east is a significant ritual aligned with religious beliefs about death and the afterlife. Offering this specific accommodation demonstrates cultural humility and family-centered care without causing harm or interfering with required postmortem procedures. By contrast, offering a “priest” reflects a different faith tradition and is less culturally congruent unless the family requests it.

Question 12

The nurse is caring for a client with terminal lung cancer. What is the priority nursing intervention for this client?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Relief of suffering is the central priority in end-of-life care, and uncontrolled pain rapidly worsens distress, dyspnea tolerance, sleep, and the ability to interact with loved ones. Effective analgesia is an immediate, high-impact nursing intervention that directly improves comfort and preserves function and dignity. Emotional support is important, but it is often less effective when severe pain is unaddressed. Nutritional support and legal planning may be appropriate, but they are not as urgent or symptom-relieving as managing pain in a terminal condition.

Question 13

The woman who is a Roman Catholic gives birth to an infant who is unlikely to survive. Which should be the nurse’s priority?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: For many Roman Catholics, baptism of a newborn who is at risk of imminent death is an urgent sacrament that can be arranged immediately, and nurses may facilitate prompt access to a chaplain/priest or follow facility policy for emergency baptism when appropriate. The other actions can be supportive but are not as time-critical for the infant’s immediate spiritual needs. Notifying the spouse is important, but it does not directly address the urgent religious request that may be central to the family’s coping at the moment.

Question 14

The parents of a 10-year-old were just told that their child is dying. Which intervention is the nurse’s priority?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: After hearing that a child is dying, the most time-sensitive action is to assess and address the child’s comfort needs and initiate appropriate palliative measures. Supporting anticipatory grief and providing education are essential but can occur once urgent symptom control and comfort measures are underway. Promoting independence is appropriate only insofar as it does not compromise comfort and safety in a rapidly declining condition.

Question 15

The client who is Buddhist dies. What should the nurse consider when notifying the client's family about the death?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Nursing care at death includes culturally sensitive support of spiritual beliefs and customary practices while maintaining dignity and required institutional policy. Many Buddhist traditions value minimizing disturbance of the body and may have time-sensitive rituals related to the immediate post-death period that influence when the body is handled or moved. Recognizing this preference helps the nurse coordinate with the family and chaplain/spiritual care and avoid unnecessary handling during the early period after death. The other options describe practices more commonly associated with other faith traditions or are not typical universal Buddhist end-of-life expectations.

Question 16

The nurse is caring for the adult client who was told an illness is terminal and is offered hospice care. Which statement by the nurse is appropriate?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: " Hospice communication should emphasize realistic goals of care while supporting hope for comfort, dignity, and symptom relief. This statement accurately reflects the hospice philosophy of prioritizing comfort measures, pain management, and quality of life without implying abandonment. It is also therapeutic because it offers a clear plan and reassures the client that nursing care continues. In contrast, saying there is nothing more to do conveys hopelessness and can increase distress, and promising a “peaceful death” can sound like a guarantee and may not match the client’s values or experience.

Question 17

Sensitive and skilled end-of-life care for clients and family members is critical for gerontological family nurses. Which is a common concern for clients and families experiencing the end of life?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: A core end-of-life priority for both clients and families is relief of suffering through effective comfort-focused care. Distressing symptoms such as pain, dyspnea, agitation, nausea, and anxiety commonly drive fear and caregiver burden, making symptom control a central concern. Nursing care at this stage emphasizes regular assessment, timely interventions (pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic), and education about what to expect. In contrast, issues like public identity or general relationship communication may be important but are typically less immediate and universal than comfort and symptom relief at the end of life.

Question 18

The hospitalized client practicing the Jewish faith is grieving after being told that the client's condition is terminal. Which is the nurse’s best intervention to assist in meeting the client’s spiritual needs?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Spiritual care at end of life is best provided by facilitating the client’s own faith-based supports and rituals in a culturally congruent way. Arranging a rabbi directly aligns with Jewish religious practice and offers tailored counseling, prayer, and guidance that can reduce distress and support meaning-making during terminal illness. Options involving explicitly Christian symbols/rites are inappropriate because they do not match the client’s stated faith and may increase spiritual distress. While a hospital spiritual care department can be helpful, the most specific and client-centered intervention here is to coordinate clergy from the client’s tradition.

Question 19

The client with terminal lung cancer is considering hospice care. Which statement made by the client indicates that the client needs further clarification about hospice care?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason:  Hospice is focused on comfort, symptom management, and quality of life for clients with terminal illness rather than curative treatment. It does not hasten death; instead, it aims to relieve distressing symptoms and support the client and family through the dying process. Believing hospice will shorten life reflects a misunderstanding that needs clarification and education about goals of care. In contrast, pain control is a core hospice service, and Medicare commonly covers hospice benefits when eligibility criteria are met.

Question 20

An elderly widow learns she has a terminal condition and tells the nurse, “I am afraid to die.” Which is the nurse’s best response?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: “I understand that you are frightened. Tell me more about your fears.” Therapeutic communication in end-of-life care prioritizes acknowledging emotions and using open-ended questions to help the client explore feelings. This response validates the fear without judgment and invites the patient to elaborate, which supports coping and allows assessment of specific concerns (pain, loneliness, spiritual distress). Offering a second opinion can imply false reassurance and shifts away from the patient’s expressed emotion. Automatically referring to chaplain or hospice redirects the conversation and may feel dismissive before fully hearing what the patient is afraid of.

Question 21

The adult daughter of the terminally ill client tells the nurse, “I’ll never get to talk to my mom again” and begins to sob. Which is the nurse’s best response?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Therapeutic communication during anticipatory grief prioritizes presence, empathy, and allowing the person to express feelings without interruption. Silence with supportive touch (when culturally appropriate) conveys acceptance and creates space for the daughter to verbalize fear, sadness, or guilt. The other options minimize or redirect emotion (suggesting fatigue), add judgment/platitudes (“fortunate”), or provide false reassurance that blocks grieving. A calm, supportive nonverbal response is the safest, most patient-centered approach in end-of-life distress.

Question 22

The nurse is performing postmortem care for the client who died. Which action should be taken by the nurse?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Cleaning visible soil and placing absorbent pads helps prevent leakage, protects linens, and supports respectful viewing/transport. Valuables and personal effects are handled per policy with documentation/chain of custody rather than automatically given away or sent to security without process. Positioning side-lying to drain oral secretions is not routine postmortem care and can create an undignified appearance; the body is typically supine with head elevated and the mouth gently closed if possible.

Question 23

The nurse is caring for the dying client who is Native American. Which response is best when a family member requests to light tobacco leaves near the client so that the smoke can be fanned over the client’s skin?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Nursing care at end of life should respect cultural and spiritual practices while maintaining client and facility safety. Using cold ashes offers a culturally sensitive alternative that honors the ritual’s intent without introducing an ignition source in the hospital environment. This approach supports family-centered care and reduces risk of smoke exposure and fire hazards on the unit. The safer compromise preserves dignity and minimizes conflict while still meeting institutional safety expectations.

Question 24

The client with a terminal illness is hospitalized for palliative care. Which conclusion by the nurse about palliative care is correct?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Palliative care is guided by the principle of maximizing quality of life through relief of pain and other distressing symptoms while supporting the patient and family. It neither aims to cure the underlying terminal condition nor to accelerate dying; instead it focuses on comfort, function, and goals-of-care alignment. Nursing care is often intensive, requiring frequent assessment and titration of symptom management, education, and psychosocial support, so it is not “minimal.” Palliative care also does not imply a specific prognosis window, and patients may retain full decision-making capacity unless impaired by illness or other conditions.

Question 25

The nurse is caring for four clients of varying religious beliefs who are near death or have died. Which action should the nurse plan?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: In many Muslim traditions, ritual washing (ghusl) is performed by same-gender individuals, often family or designated community members, and facilitating this is an appropriate nursing action when consistent with policy and local laws. By contrast, turning a Jewish client toward Mecca reflects Islamic practice (direction is toward Jerusalem for Judaism), making that option incorrect. The other options mismatch common rites (e.g., anointing/confession are Catholic sacraments, not typically Methodist; cremation timing is not a universal Buddhist requirement).

Question 26

The client requests to die at home in a familiar setting, and hospice care is initiated. Which initial action by a hospice nurse would best support family coping?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Early in hospice, orienting the family to who does what (nurse, aide, social worker, chaplain, physician, volunteers) and how to access each service improves communication, sets realistic expectations, and normalizes help-seeking. This directly strengthens coping by building a dependable support network around the family and client. In contrast, continuous 24-hour in-home caregiving is generally not the standard hospice model and would create unrealistic expectations that can worsen distress when unmet. Planning for hospital readmission is not the focus when hospice care is initiated for dying at home, where comfort and support are prioritized.

Question 27

The family of the terminally ill client has decided to withdraw life support. A family member states, “I don’t want to be there when he dies. I want to remember him as he was.” What is the nurse’s best response?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason:  Therapeutic communication in end-of-life care prioritizes validating feelings and supporting coping without inserting the nurse’s personal views or applying pressure. This response acknowledges the family member’s grief-related motivation and offers nonjudgmental support, which helps reduce guilt and promotes adaptive coping. Option A inappropriately self-discloses and shifts focus to the nurse. Option D is subtly coercive and can increase anxiety and guilt; option B gives reassurance without exploring or validating the expressed emotion.

Question 28

The nurse overheats the client tell his family, “I can’t go on with chemotherapy treatments. I want to go home to die-” The wife begins crying and responds, “You are giving up!” The son responds, “Dad can get over this if he just tries.” The client becomes withdrawn and avoids eye contact with his family. Which nursing diagnosis would be best to add to the client’s plan of care?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: The wife’s “You are giving up!” and the son’s insistence that he “just tries” reflect difficulty accepting the client’s goals and an inability to provide effective emotional support, which is consistent with impaired/compromised family coping. The client’s withdrawal and avoidance of eye contact further suggests the family interaction is not helping him adapt to the situation and may be increasing distress. This is a better fit than situational anxiety, which centers on the client’s anxiety symptoms, or dysfunctional grieving, which requires maladaptive grief patterns beyond the immediate family reaction described.

Question 29

The client who is near death asks the nurse to lead a prayer to give the client comfort and strength to face the afterlife. The client and the nurse are both of the Baptist faith. Which opening prayer would be most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: "Jesus, you are the light of the world and the giver of strength. Provide comfort to Mr. Brown during his last hours on earth, and provide him strength as he faces death and eternal life." End-of-life spiritual care should be patient-centered and align with the client’s stated faith to promote comfort and dignity. This option uses explicitly Christian language consistent with Baptist beliefs, supporting the client’s request without introducing another tradition. By honoring the client’s preferences, the nurse facilitates coping and spiritual support during dying. In contrast, prayers invoking Mary or non-Christian figures would not match Baptist doctrine and could cause distress or feel incongruent with the client’s beliefs.

Question 30

The NA is caring for the dying client who has sensory-perceptual alteration- Which direction by the nurse to the NA is inappropriate?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Communication with dying clients should preserve dignity and assume the client can still perceive speech, so staff should speak normally, clearly, and respectfully rather than whispering. Whispering can be misinterpreted, increase anxiety or paranoia in a client with sensory-perceptual alterations, and may reduce understanding. Although hearing may be retained late, that principle supports continuing to talk to the client in a calm, normal voice, not lowering the voice to a whisper. The other directions promote comfort and safety (preparing for lighting changes, therapeutic touch when appropriate, and slow repositioning to reduce disorientation).

Question 31

The home health nurse assesses that the African American client is in need of hospice care. Which should be the nurse’s initial response when the daughter tells the nurse that she will never agree to hospice care for her father?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: The priority initial nursing action in end-of-life decisions is therapeutic communication to assess understanding, values, and barriers before providing teaching or escalating the issue. Exploring the daughter’s refusal helps identify misconceptions about hospice, cultural or spiritual beliefs, guilt, fear of “giving up,” and the family’s readiness for goals-of-care discussions. This approach supports shared decision-making and maintains trust while gathering data needed to plan appropriate interventions and referrals. Immediately contacting the provider is premature without first clarifying the decision-maker, the client’s wishes/advance directives, and the specific concerns driving refusal. Providing reassurance or education can be appropriate later, but only after first assessing and validating concerns to tailor the discussion.

Question 32

The client tells the nurse, “I wish my family would let me die in peace. I’m angry that they keep hovering as if I’ve given up. I have terminal lung cancer, and there is no cure!” Which is the nurse’s best therapeutic response?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason:  Therapeutic communication uses reflection and clarification to help the client identify and explore feelings. This response restates the client’s emotion and the perceived cause in a nonjudgmental way, inviting the client to elaborate and confirm meaning. It supports expression of anger in end-of-life coping rather than attempting to fix the situation immediately. Option D is nontherapeutic because it minimizes and judges the feeling, which can shut down communication.

Question 33

The client of the Orthodox Jewish faith dies after being on hospice care for a month. The hospice nurse and the client’s wife and daughter are with the deceased. Which practice by the family should the nurse consider?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: End-of-life nursing care includes respecting culturally and religiously based mourning rituals to support the family’s grieving process. Orthodox Judaism commonly observes shiva, a seven-day mourning period after burial during which normal work and typical grooming/adornment practices may be limited. This option aligns with that widely recognized practice and guides the nurse to anticipate and support the family’s needs and preferences. By contrast, facing Mecca for prayer reflects Islamic practice, not Jewish tradition, and is therefore an incorrect cultural match.

Question 34

The client of the Islamic faith suffers a massive stroke and is to receive end-of-life care. Which statement made by the nurse to a coworker is correct in describing the beliefs of Islam and end-of-life care?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason:  Islam generally emphasizes preservation of life while permitting refusal of futile or excessively burdensome treatment through appropriate medical and family decision-making. A DNR can be consistent with Islamic ethics when the medical team determines resuscitation is nonbeneficial and the decision is made in collaboration with the family/surrogate and provider. Assisted suicide is prohibited in Islam, making that option clearly incorrect. Statements implying automatic continuation of life support until cardiac arrest or endorsing withdrawal of basic nutrition/hydration as a routine allowance are not broadly accurate across Islamic end-of-life guidance and are unsafe as blanket claims.

Question 35

The nurse observes that a parent of a child who just died is rocking the child back and forth and sobbing; the other parent is sitting quietly nearby. Which response by the nurse is most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: " Grief responses vary widely, and the nurse’s priority is to provide therapeutic support that is individualized and facilitates healthy mourning. This statement invites the parents to express needs and participate in meaningful leave-taking rituals, promoting autonomy and emotional support without judging how they are grieving. It also keeps the focus on presence and practical help rather than prematurely redirecting them away from the child. In contrast, offering sedation or pushing them to leave can suppress normal acute grief and may be experienced as dismissive.

Question 36

The nurse is counseling the parents of an adolescent with a terminal illness. Which statement is appropriate when helping the parents with decisions about their child’s care?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason:  Adolescents are developmentally focused on autonomy, identity formation, and control, so terminal illness and escalating care commonly trigger anger and resistance. Recognizing this as a typical, expected coping response helps parents interpret behaviors accurately and make supportive, developmentally appropriate care decisions. The other statements are inaccurate or overly broad: adolescents do not process death the same as adults, and minors generally cannot make all health care decisions independently. The Patient Self-Determination Act supports advance directives for adults and does not broadly grant decision-making authority to 16-year-olds.

Question 37

A terminally ill client is being cared for at home by family members. Based upon the client's physical assessment, the nurse is aware that the client's death is imminent. What is the nurse's most important role in the care of the family at this time?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Anticipatory guidance is a primary nursing intervention in imminent end-of-life care because it reduces fear, improves family coping, and helps caregivers respond appropriately to expected physiologic changes. Teaching what to expect (e.g., altered breathing patterns, decreased intake, changes in consciousness, mottling) prevents misinterpretation of normal dying processes as emergencies. This also supports comfort-focused decision-making and timely use of hospice resources rather than crisis-driven interventions. Respite and visitor scheduling can be helpful but are secondary to ensuring the family understands what is happening and how to provide comfort and safety. Communicating impending death should be done with sensitivity, but the key role at this point is equipping the family with clear expectations and practical guidance.

Question 38

The nurse is educating a group of nurses on end-of-life care decisions. When making end-of-life care decisions, which of the following palliative clients must have their advanced directive activated?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: A standing DNR order is a specific advance directive/medical order that must be honored to prevent unwanted resuscitation attempts. In contrast, symptoms like dyspnea, lab abnormalities like hyponatremia, or acute injuries like a compound fracture may require urgent treatment but do not inherently mandate activating an advance directive unless the patient lacks capacity and decisions about life-sustaining measures are needed. The key distinction is the presence of a documented resuscitation preference that directly changes emergency response and code-status actions.

Question 39

The nurse is providing postmortem care to a deceased client. Which action should the nurse take when performing postmortem care?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: After death, facial pooling of blood can cause discoloration and swelling that may be distressing to family members during viewing; elevating the head helps reduce this effect and supports dignified presentation. Postmortem care prioritizes respectful preparation of the body and psychosocial support for the family while maintaining safety and legal requirements. Mouth care is not performed to “maintain oral hygiene”; instead, the goal is to close the mouth/jaw and remove secretions as needed for appearance and comfort of the family. Lotion cannot prevent normal postmortem changes (algor/rigor/livor mortis), and identification tags must remain in place to preserve correct patient identification and chain-of-custody.

Question 40

The nurse is caring for the terminally ill client. Which planned intervention will provide the family of the client with the greatest sense of both control and satisfaction with the end-of-life care their loved one is receiving?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Proactively identifying family concerns gives them a sense of involvement, control, and partnership in care, which are key factors in satisfaction during end-of-life situations. Anticipating needs reduces uncertainty and prevents distress before it escalates, making care feel coordinated and responsive. Options B, C, and D are important supportive actions but are more reactive or limited in scope. They do not provide the same level of control and involvement as a proactive, anticipatory approach to care planning.

Question 41

The nurse has an established relationship with the family of a client whose death is imminent. Which should the nurse provide to help the family deal with this experience?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Families facing imminent death need clear, honest information and supportive guidance to cope with the situation. Providing requested information and assistance helps reduce anxiety, promotes understanding, and supports decision-making. The nurse facilitates coping rather than prescribing it, does not assume a spiritual leadership role, and although privacy is important, it is not the primary intervention.

Question 42

A hospice nurse is caring for a patient who has made the decision to pass away at home. The patient is refusing to eat or drink. During a visit, one of the patient’s adult children asks the following question, “Why is my mom not eating or drinking? Can’t we give her something to help her get her strength back?” Which of these is the most appropriate response to this question?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: I understand this is difficult. We are going to make sure your mom is comfortable and will provide anything that she asks and for At end of life, decreased appetite and thirst are expected physiologic changes, and the nursing priority in hospice is comfort-focused, goal-concordant care. This response uses therapeutic communication by acknowledging the family’s distress while clarifying the plan to prioritize symptom relief and honor the patient’s preferences. Forcing or pressuring intake can increase discomfort (e.g., nausea, aspiration risk, fluid overload/secretions) and may conflict with the patient’s stated goals. Option C partially educates but is too blunt and can be experienced as dismissive; option A promotes intake rather than comfort-centered care; option D undermines confidence and provides no supportive guidance.

Question 43

A hospice nurse is caring for a patient who has made the decision to pass away at home. The patient is refusing to eat or drink. During a visit, one of the patient’s adult children asks the following question, “Why is my mom not eating or drinking? Can’t we give her something to help her get her strength back?” Which of these is the most appropriate response to this question?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: At end of life, decreased appetite and thirst are expected physiologic changes, and forcing intake can worsen discomfort (e.g., nausea, aspiration risk, fluid overload). The most therapeutic nursing response acknowledges the family’s distress and refocuses goals on comfort while respecting the patient’s wishes. This option provides emotional support and appropriately emphasizes symptom-directed care and honoring what the patient wants. By contrast, encouraging intake implies reversing the dying process, and bluntly stating she is “close to passing” may be perceived as insensitive and does not address the family’s coping needs.

Question 44

In caring for a dying client, you should perform which of the following activities?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: End-of-life nursing prioritizes comfort, dignity, symptom control, and psychosocial/spiritual support rather than restorative goals. The best overarching activity is to promote a peaceful death by addressing pain, dyspnea, anxiety, and family needs while honoring patient preferences and goals of care. A do-not-resuscitate order is a specific medical directive that may or may not be present and does not by itself define comprehensive care. Encouraging exercise is generally inconsistent with the primary goal of comfort when a client is actively dying.

Question 45

One week after being told that she has terminal cancer with a life expectancy of 3 weeks, a female client tells the nurse, "I think I will plan a big party for all my friends." How should the nurse respond?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: " Therapeutic communication supports a client’s coping choices at end of life by using acceptance and reflection rather than judging, correcting, or redirecting. This response validates the client’s plan and feelings, encouraging expression and preserving autonomy during anticipatory grief. Options A and D impose the nurse’s perspective and can shut down communication by focusing on limitations or “should” statements. Option B is a leading, intrusive interpretation that can increase distress and does not follow the client’s stated meaning.

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Which of the following types of health care is generally for people who will die in six or less?

Which of the following healthcare settings is generally for people who will die in six months or less?

When a resident is dying, which sense is lost last?

A client has passed away, and the wife of the client tells the nurse that the client is an organ donor and that his eyes are to be donated. Which action should the nurse take next?

Who would you speak with in end-of-life care?

A client with end-stage heart failure is being discharged on hospice care. Which is the nurse's priority goal?

Scenario: A patient has been pronounced dead. Q. What action is part of postmortem care?

At the end of life, many people have a fear of ...?

A client who is terminally ill has been receiving high doses of an opioid analgesic for the past month. As death approaches and the client becomes unresponsive to verbal stimuli, what orders would the nurse expect from the health care provider?

After the death of a client, the family approaches the nurse and requests that a family member be allowed to perform a ritual bath on the deceased prior to moving the body. The appropriate response by the nurse is?

A Hindu patient dies after a long, drawn-out battle with pancreatic cancer. The family is gathered by the bedside. The most appropriate interventions if offered by the nurse is ________?

The nurse is caring for a client with terminal lung cancer. What is the priority nursing intervention for this client?

The woman who is a Roman Catholic gives birth to an infant who is unlikely to survive. Which should be the nurse’s priority?

The parents of a 10-year-old were just told that their child is dying. Which intervention is the nurse’s priority?

The client who is Buddhist dies. What should the nurse consider when notifying the client's family about the death?

The nurse is caring for the adult client who was told an illness is terminal and is offered hospice care. Which statement by the nurse is appropriate?

Sensitive and skilled end-of-life care for clients and family members is critical for gerontological family nurses. Which is a common concern for clients and families experiencing the end of life?

The hospitalized client practicing the Jewish faith is grieving after being told that the client's condition is terminal. Which is the nurse’s best intervention to assist in meeting the client’s spiritual needs?

The client with terminal lung cancer is considering hospice care. Which statement made by the client indicates that the client needs further clarification about hospice care?

An elderly widow learns she has a terminal condition and tells the nurse, “I am afraid to die.” Which is the nurse’s best response?

The adult daughter of the terminally ill client tells the nurse, “I’ll never get to talk to my mom again” and begins to sob. Which is the nurse’s best response?

The nurse is performing postmortem care for the client who died. Which action should be taken by the nurse?

The nurse is caring for the dying client who is Native American. Which response is best when a family member requests to light tobacco leaves near the client so that the smoke can be fanned over the client’s skin?

The client with a terminal illness is hospitalized for palliative care. Which conclusion by the nurse about palliative care is correct?

The nurse is caring for four clients of varying religious beliefs who are near death or have died. Which action should the nurse plan?

The client requests to die at home in a familiar setting, and hospice care is initiated. Which initial action by a hospice nurse would best support family coping?

The family of the terminally ill client has decided to withdraw life support. A family member states, “I don’t want to be there when he dies. I want to remember him as he was.” What is the nurse’s best response?

The client who is near death asks the nurse to lead a prayer to give the client comfort and strength to face the afterlife. The client and the nurse are both of the Baptist faith. Which opening prayer would be most appropriate?

The NA is caring for the dying client who has sensory-perceptual alteration- Which direction by the nurse to the NA is inappropriate?

The home health nurse assesses that the African American client is in need of hospice care. Which should be the nurse’s initial response when the daughter tells the nurse that she will never agree to hospice care for her father?

The client tells the nurse, “I wish my family would let me die in peace. I’m angry that they keep hovering as if I’ve given up. I have terminal lung cancer, and there is no cure!” Which is the nurse’s best therapeutic response?

The client of the Orthodox Jewish faith dies after being on hospice care for a month. The hospice nurse and the client’s wife and daughter are with the deceased. Which practice by the family should the nurse consider?

The client of the Islamic faith suffers a massive stroke and is to receive end-of-life care. Which statement made by the nurse to a coworker is correct in describing the beliefs of Islam and end-of-life care?

The nurse observes that a parent of a child who just died is rocking the child back and forth and sobbing; the other parent is sitting quietly nearby. Which response by the nurse is most appropriate?

The nurse is counseling the parents of an adolescent with a terminal illness. Which statement is appropriate when helping the parents with decisions about their child’s care?

A terminally ill client is being cared for at home by family members. Based upon the client's physical assessment, the nurse is aware that the client's death is imminent. What is the nurse's most important role in the care of the family at this time?

The nurse is educating a group of nurses on end-of-life care decisions. When making end-of-life care decisions, which of the following palliative clients must have their advanced directive activated?

The nurse is providing postmortem care to a deceased client. Which action should the nurse take when performing postmortem care?

The nurse is caring for the terminally ill client. Which planned intervention will provide the family of the client with the greatest sense of both control and satisfaction with the end-of-life care their loved one is receiving?

The nurse has an established relationship with the family of a client whose death is imminent. Which should the nurse provide to help the family deal with this experience?

In caring for a dying client, you should perform which of the following activities?

One week after being told that she has terminal cancer with a life expectancy of 3 weeks, a female client tells the nurse, "I think I will plan a big party for all my friends." How should the nurse respond?

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