Chapter 24- NCLEX Questions

Which phrase is most likely to help grieving family members express themselves more easily?

"Tell me how you are feeling."

The nurse is caring for a dying patient. What are the clinical signs of death?

- Absence of apical pulse - Cessation of respiration - Fat encephalogram

A nurse is preparing to care for a dying patient, and several family members are at the bedside. Select the therapeutic techniques that the nurse uses when communicating with the family.

- Be honest and truthful and let the pat and the family know that the nurse will not abandon them - Explain everything that is happening to all family members - Encourage expression of feelings, concerns and fears. - Extend touch and hold the pt's or family member's hand if appropriate.

The nurse is providing postmortem care for a patient. Which interventions are appropriate before allowing the family to visit.

- Prepare the body to look as clean and natural as possible - Remove the external tubes and drains if there is no autopsy required - Call the healthcare provider to obtain an order to release the body to the mortician.

Which statement describes a person experiencing anticipatory grief?

A person faces the possibility of losing a loved one.

Which of the following helps family members make difficult decisions?

Addressing one matter at a time, giving them adequate time to discuss each issue.

Nurses care for all types of patients with various conditions, including those with terminal illness. Which statement is true about terminal illness?

An illness is terminal when no reasonable hope of recovery exists.

A nurse is assigned to a pt who was recently diagnosed with a terminal illness. While the nurse was assisting her with morning care, the pt asked about organ donation. Which nursing action is most appropriate?

Assist her in obtaining the necessary information to make this decision.

A newly licensed nurse is assigned to his first dying patient. When caring for a dying patient, what best prepares the nurse?

Being aware of his own thoughts and feelings towards death.

Which is an appropriate therapeutic listening technique?

Encourage family members to share their feelings

Which of the following is most therapeutic when talking with family members with an unresolved issue?

Encourage them to verbalize their thoughts and feeling to the loved one.

The adult children of a dying patient, who is alert and oriented, disagree on the pt's choice of a DNR order. The children ask the opinion of the nurse,who has cared for this pt over an extended period. How should the nurse respond to this question about the pt's dying request?

Listen to the children's concerns and encourage them to talk to their parent.

A 77 year old patient has been admitted with pneumonia. Her husband asks the nurse about the living will. Which statement is correct about living wills?

Living wills allow individuals to express their wishes regarding care

What type of care allows a pt to make more informed choices, achieve better alleviation of symptoms, and have more opportunity to work on issues such as closure?

Palliative Care

The pt's daughter remained at the bedside of her dying mother throughout the night. When her mother died her mother died the following morning, the daughter cried out angrily at the nurse and the physician. Which is the most appropriate action by the nurse

Remain with the daughter and listen to what she is saying.

A bereaved widow of 3 months tells the nurse she has clearly smelled her deceased husband's aftershave scent as she sat in church recently. She questions if she might be "going crazy." What is the widow experiencing?

Sense of presence.

After death of a patient, the nurse leaves the room quickly; she is found sobbing in the utility room. Which action is the most supportive to the nurse?

Sitting with her and allowing her to express herself.

A healthy 25 year old who sustained a head injury during a motor vehicle accident is in the emergency dept. The pt has no brain activity and is on life support. The family has expressed an interest in organ donation. What should the nurse know about organ donation?

Vital organs, such as the heart and pancreas, must be harvested while the pt remains on the ventilator.