Which of the following is the primary concern of the nurse in providing care to a dying client?
a. Promoting optimism in the client and being a source of encouragement
b. Intervening in the client's activities of daily living to allow the client to focus on his or her emotional state
c. Allowing the client to be alone and expecting isolation on the part of the dying person
d. Selecting interventions designed to maintain the client's dignity and self-esteem
D
The focus in planning nursing care is to promote self-esteem and dignity by taking a therapeutic stance that conveys respect for the client as a whole person, with feelings, accomplishments, and passions independent of the illness experience.
Optimism should not be the primary focus when caring for the dying client. The nurse should promote the client's self-esteem and allow the client to die in comfort and with dignity.
The client should be allowed to make choices and perform as many activities of daily living in-dependently as possible. This allows the client to maintain self-esteem and dignity.
The client does not need to be left alone. The presence of the nurse or the family may indicate to the client that he or she is being cared for and is worthy of attention.
You might also like to view...
The spouse of a patient recently diagnosed with terminal cancer has voiced concerns about her husband's continual denial of his disease. What should the nurse consider when planning a response to this concern?
1. It may be helpful for the patient's emotional state at this time to be in a state of denial. 2. Denial is abnormal and the patient needs to have a consultation with a therapist. 3. It will be helpful to plan an intervention to force the patient to acknowledge his disease. 4. There is a limited amount of time left in the patient's life so the denial must be rapidly worked through.
A type 2 insulin-dependent diabetic 70-year-old recently lost his wife and is experiencing impotence. Besides educating the patient on the normal effects of aging on sexual function, the nurse should initially include information regarding
a. the effect that stress has on sexual per-formance. b. the effect of diabetes mellitus on the vas-cular system. c. the link between depression and sexual dysfunction. d. sexual dysfunction related to long-term use of insulin.
An older woman tells the nurse that she has experienced increasing fatigue and shortness of breath over the last 2 days. Which goal is the nurse's priority?
a. Promote safety to prevent injury. b. Complete nutritional assessment. c. Balance exercise and rest periods. d. Explore the woman's complaints.
The nurse is presenting an in-service at a children's unit on hyperactivity. The nurse is told that a 6-year-old on the unit is being treated with methylphenidate (Ritalin)
The presenting nurse talks about discharge teaching for this patient and the importance of monitoring what? A) Long bone growth B) Visual acuity C) Weight and complete blood count D) Urea and nitrogen levels