A patient has been admitted to the hospital with advanced colon cancer and is receiving palliative care at this time. The nurse feels anxious in caring for this patient, but realizes which of the following?
a. The patient needs the nurse's presence and personal connection.
b. Remaining silent would signify a noncar-ing attitude.
c. All people react to loss in the same way.
d. Reminiscing only makes a difficult situa-tion worse.
A
Many nurses become anxious when caring for dying patients or people coping with grief and loss. Confidence helps you to understand that even if there is nothing you can do or say to change the situation, the patient needs your compassionate presence and a personal connection. Confidence helps you accept the responsibility to remain present even in difficult situations. By silently sharing a moment of sadness with a patient or family member, you communicate caring and send the message that you respect and accept their feelings in the moment. Do not assume that other people react to loss or grief as you do or that a particular behavior necessarily indicates grief. Encouraging patients to tell stories about their loved one gives them an opportunity to provide information in a natural, unstructured, and meaningful way.
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After the cast on a client's fractured ulna has been changed to a bivalve cast, the nurse will alter the approach to care by
a. omitting vascular checks to the extremity. b. preventing pinching the extremity between the two halves. c. taking off both halves of the cast when x-ray films are ordered. d. taping the halves together with paper tape.
The nurse evaluates the effectiveness of the patient's intermittent urinary catheterization for residual urine. Which of the following requires follow-up nursing intervention?
a. The patient is passing urine in the bath-room. b. The urine is clear yellow and without odor. c. The bladder is nonpalpable above the pubic bone. d. The patient complains of frequency and urgency.
A new LPN is learning how to organize the workload to use time most effectively. Which of the following is a recommended guideline for organizing the workload?
A) Avoid making "to do" lists; instead, mentally check off tasks completed. B) When in doubt about a procedure, check protocols to avoid asking questions. C) Plan break times so they do not conflict with specific scheduled procedures. D) Do not rely on already learned nursing procedures; procedures need to be relearned.
The adult male patient with significant body hair is being prepared for abdominal surgery. The patient states his dad had the same surgery many years ago and was shaved prior to the procedure. The nurse would explain to the patient:
A) "That practice is no longer standard as shaving may cause breaks in the skin." B) "We no longer shave skin before procedures but we will apply a lotion that will remove the hair." C) "Your abdomen will be shaved in the operating room." D) "You will be shaved as well."