A new nurse is caring for an older patient who is nearing death. What is the nurse's best action before caring for this patient?
1. Confirm the patient's Do Not Resuscitate status.
2. Review the facility's policy on post-mortem care.
3. Reflect and examine personal feelings and fears about death.
4. Contact the funeral home to notify of impending death.
3. Reflect and examine personal feelings and fears about death.
Explanation: 1. The nurse does need to be aware of the patient's code status but this is not the first thing that the nurse needs to do prior to caring for the patient.
2. The nurse does need to be aware of the facility's policy on post-mortem care but this is not the priority action.
3. Nurses must be confident in their clinical skills when caring for the dying, and aware of the ethical, spiritual, and legal issues they may confront while providing end-of-life care. Many feel that the first step in the process is confronting their own personal fears about death and dying. By addressing their own fears, nurses are better able to help patients and families when they are confronted by impending death. The nurse may then be more objective in recognizing and respecting the patient's and family's values and choices that guide their decisions at the end of life.
4. Funeral arrangements do not need to be made prior to the patient's death and notification to the funeral home is not made until death has occurred.
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