The daughter of a client, who is at the end of life, is concerned that the gurgling sound she hears is her father drowning in his own secretions. What is the best initial response by the nurse?

A) "This must be very upsetting to watch, but he isn't suffering."
B) "It might be best if you leave the room."
C) "You may not be giving him enough fluid."
D) "I'll suction him now."


A) "This must be very upsetting to watch, but he isn't suffering."

Explanation: A) This response acknowledges that this is upsetting to family members and provides reassurance that the patient is not suffering.
B) Asking the daughter to leave the room does not acknowledge the daughter's feelings and fears or provide family education.
C) This gurgling sound is an end-of-life phenomenon, and although dehydration may be a factor, it is not due to any lack of care by the family or nursing staff.
D) Oropharyngeal suctioning is usually not recommended because this procedure causes discomfort, is ineffective if secretions are beyond the reach of the catheter, and does not correct the underlying problem.

Nursing

You might also like to view...

When a manager uses the contrast effect in performance analysis, this refers to:

1. rating an employee by comparison with other employees. 2. the ratings being all higher or lower than the expected average. 3. allowing past performance ratings to influence current ratings. 4. rating all areas at average or midpoint.

Nursing

In what way could the researchers in the Willowbrook study have designed their research on the hepatitis virus so that it was ethically acceptable?

a. The researchers could have given each participant a chance to assent. b. The researchers could have performed their study on persons who were capable of full assent. c. The researchers could have made the study available at many institutions for the mentally retarded. d. The researchers could have performed descriptive research on persons already infected with hepatitis.

Nursing

For a client experiencing urinary incontinence, in the initial plan of care the nurse would include

a. encouraging the client to void frequently. b. limiting fluid intake. c. teaching Kegel exercises. d. using adult diapers to prevent accidents.

Nursing

The nurse is presenting a class for new mothers and explains that from ages 4 to 8 months infants perform secondary circular reactions. This occurs when

A) The infant reproduces an event that initially happened by chance B) The infant coordinates schemes and intentionality C) The infant becomes more object-oriented, moving beyond being preoccupied with the body D) The infant experiments with new behavior

Nursing