A 70-year-old client who is in the terminal phases of a debilitating muscular disease tells his wife that he believes the health care team has "failed" and "given up" on him and "aren't trying as hard."
The nurse caring for this client plans interventions for this family based on which of the following? 1. This idea of abandonment is unfounded.
2. This is a common fear in the terminally ill client.
3. When clients become terminal, physician care is no longer necessary.
4. Clients who feel this way are in denial of the facts of their care.
2. This is a common fear in the terminally ill client.
Rationale:
If the client feels that his terminal state is a reflection of failure of the medical system, this fear of abandonment is common. It may not be totally unfounded because failing to cure a client is frustrating and may reflect in the care provided to the client. While nurses do provide much of the care given to terminal clients, physicians continue to be an integral part of care. There is no indication of denial in this client's statements, but powerlessness or hopelessness may be evident.
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