The nurse is caring for a terminally ill client who recently immigrated to the Canada. To provide quality end-of-life care, what must the nurse do first?

Question

a. Make every effort to involve the client and his or her family in the end-of-life care.
b. Understand the client's personal and cultural views regarding death and dying.
c. Arrange for end-of-life care to be provided by health care professionals familiar with the client's culture.
d. Share the client's concerns regarding the dying process with his or her interdisci-plinary care team.

Answer 1

B
Differences in beliefs, values, and traditional health care practices are relevant when planning end-of-life care. It is the nurse's responsibility to become familiar with the client's personal and cultural views so as to provide the most effective and appropriate end-of-life care.
While it is important to make every effort to involve the client and his or her family in the end-of-life care, it is not the best available option, because understanding the client's cultural and personal views will facilitate all other offered options.
Arranging for end-of-life care to be provided by health care professionals familiar with the cli-ent's culture may not always be practical or possible.
While sharing the client's concerns regarding the dying process with his or her interdisciplinary care team is important, it is not the best available option, because understanding the client's cul-tural and personal views will facilitate all other offered options.