A 33-year-old patient has been told that her disease is terminal. The patient is crying and states, "l will just be a dependent drain on my family. I hate being a burden to them." The nurse can best respond:

"l know. would feel terrible if I had been told I was dying."

"Is there any reason to tell your family about this now? You still have some time in which you can enjoy life."

"You have heard some very bad news today. Can you describe what you mean by burden?"

"l doubt that your loving family will view your terminal care as a burden."

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is C

Option C is the best response because it acknowledges the patient's feelings of being a burden on her family and encourages her to express her concerns further. By asking the patient to describe what she means by burden, the nurse demonstrates empathy, active listening, and a willingness to understand the patient's perspective. This approach opens the door for therapeutic communication and allows the nurse to explore the patient's feelings and concerns more deeply.

A. "I know. I would feel terrible if I had been told I was dying." This response does not effectively address the patient's concerns or provide therapeutic communication. It shifts the focus from the patient's feelings to the nurse's hypothetical reaction, which may invalidate the patient's emotions and fail to address her immediate needs.

B. "Is there any reason to tell your family about this now? You still have some time in which you can enjoy life." This response minimizes the patient's emotions and fails to acknowledge her distress about feeling like a burden to her family. It also suggests avoiding communication with her family, which may not be in line with the patient's values or preferences regarding sharing important information.

C. "You have heard some very bad news today. Can you describe what you mean by burden?" This response acknowledges the patient's feelings and invites further discussion about her concerns. By encouraging the patient to describe her feelings of being a burden, the nurse demonstrates empathy and validates the patient's emotions, which can promote therapeutic communication and understanding.

D. "I doubt that your loving family will view your terminal care as a burden." While this response attempts to provide reassurance, it may come across as dismissive of the patient's feelings and concerns. It assumes how the patient's family will react without addressing the patient's immediate emotional needs or exploring her perspective further.

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Correct Answer is B

Explanation

A. Anger: Anger typically involves feelings of frustration, resentment, or hostility towards others or the situation. The behavior described does not express anger but rather attempts to negotiate or make deals with a higher power.

B. Bargaining: Bargaining is a stage where individuals attempt to negotiate or make deals to change the outcome of a situation. The behavior described, making a deal with God in exchange for a desired outcome, aligns with the bargaining stage of Kübler-Ross's stages of dying.

C. Depression: Depression involves feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and despair. While the behavior described may indicate emotional distress, it is more reflective of bargaining rather than depression.

D. Acceptance: Acceptance involves coming to terms with the reality of a situation, including one's own mortality. The behavior described does not indicate acceptance but rather a desire to alter the situation through bargaining.

E. Denial: Denial is characterized by refusing to accept the reality of the situation. The behavior described involves acknowledging the situation but attempting to change it through bargaining, indicating a stage beyond denial.

A. Of this type is not curative and may help reduce the pain he is experiencing B. Will be used as a single treatment measure. Previous medications will be discontinued. C. May disqualify him from receiving hospice care. D. May halt the metastatic process

Correct Answer is A

Explanation

A. Of this type is not curative and may help reduce the pain he is experiencing: This response provides accurate information about the purpose of palliative radiation therapy for bony metastases. It acknowledges the patient's concerns about treatment not curing the cancer while emphasizing the potential benefit of radiation therapy in reducing pain and improving quality of life.

B. Will be used as a single treatment measure. Previous medications will be discontinued: This statement is inaccurate and may cause confusion for the patient. Palliative radiation therapy is often used in conjunction with other pain management strategies, and discontinuing previous medications without a proper assessment and plan may not be appropriate.

C. May disqualify him from receiving hospice care: This statement is incorrect. Receiving palliative radiation therapy does not automatically disqualify a patient from hospice care. Hospice care focuses on providing comfort and support to terminally ill patients, and decisions about treatments such as radiation therapy are made based on the patient's goals and preferences.

D. May halt the metastatic process: Palliative radiation therapy is not typically used with the intention of halting the metastatic process. Its primary goal is to alleviate symptoms such as pain and improve the patient's quality of life. While radiation therapy may shrink tumors in some cases, it is not considered a curative treatment for metastatic cancer.

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A 33-year-old patient has been told that her disease is terminal. The patient is crying and states, "l will just be a dependent drain on my family. I hate being a burden to them." The nurse can best respond:

Nursing Test Bank

Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

Directions: Correlate the behavior with KübIer-Ross's stages of dying from the choices below. Tells God: "If I quit smoking I can just live until after my daughter's wedding."

Correct Answer is B

Explanation

An oncologist has recommended that a hospice patient receives palliative radiation to reduce the pain of bony metastases. The patient reacts with anger, saying, "l don't want any more treatments that don't cure my cancer!" The hospice nurse tells the patient that the use of radiation:

Correct Answer is A

Explanation

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