The spouse of a patient recently diagnosed with terminal cancer has voiced concerns about her husband's continual denial of his disease. When planning a response to her, which of the following should the nurse consider?
1. There is a limited amount of time left in the patient's life so the denial must be rapidly worked through.
2. It will be helpful to plan an intervention to force the patient to acknowledge his disease.
3. It may be helpful for the patient's emotional state at this time to be in a state of denial.
4. Denial is abnormal and the patient needs to have a consultation with a therapist.
3
Rationale: Denial is a normal state experienced by patients having critical diagnoses. It is believed that denial may be therapeutic as it allows the patient to have a removal from worry. Each patient will work through denial at an individualized pace. Movement through the stage cannot be rushed or forced.
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In which situation would the research and the null hypothesis be the same?
a. Researcher does not think that the research is going to mean anything. b. Researcher predicts that there will be no difference among the groups. c. Statistical analysis reveals a correlation coefficient of zero. d. Study has serious flaws and is declared null and void.
An ophthalmoscopic eye examination involves:
a. lens inspection. b. near vision evaluation. c. sclera observation. d. visual field assessment.
The nurse is caring for a 5-year-old child who has been placed on Ritalin. What is the highest priority action on the part of the nurse?
a. Administer the medication as ordered by the physician. b. Monitor the client closely during administration. c. Hold the medication and call the physician. d. Call the pharmacist to verify the dosage of the drug.
A client is asked during an admission interview to describe her family. She proceeds to list parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Which type of family should the nurse document for this client?
1. Nuclear 2. Extended 3. Traditional 4. Blended