Examkin

Question

Difficulty: EasyEnd of Life Care

A 28-year-old client is visiting her mother, who has terminal ovarian cancer and has just been transitioned to comfort care. The daughter begins to cry and says to the nurse, "I do not know how I am going to survive without her." Which response by the nurse is the most therapeutic?

  1. This is an incredibly heavy burden to carry. I am here for you; please share whatever you are feeling.Answer
  2. B
    You must try to stay strong for your mother; she would not want to see you this upset.
  3. C
    I will ask the unlicensed assistive personnel to sit with you so you have some company while you cry.
  4. D
    Time heals all wounds, and you will eventually find peace once the grieving process is over.

Answer

The response that acknowledges the burden and invites the daughter to share her feelings.
The correct response directly validates the daughter's overwhelming emotions, demonstrates empathy, and offers the nurse's active presence. By inviting her to share her feelings, the nurse facilitates open communication and supports the grieving process without offering false hope or minimizing the emotional pain.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the daughter's statement and emotional state.
The daughter is experiencing severe anticipatory grief and is expressing acute fear and despair regarding the impending loss of her mother.
Identifying the core emotion is necessary to formulate a therapeutic response.
2
Evaluate the nursing role in end-of-life care family support.
The primary goal is to provide a safe, non-judgmental space for the family member to express their emotions.
Therapeutic communication requires active listening, empathy, and validation of feelings without attempting to 'fix' the unfixable situation.
3
Analyze each option against therapeutic communication standards.
Identify and eliminate responses that contain communication blocks (clichés, false reassurance, giving advice) or inappropriate task delegation.
Ensures the selected intervention safely and effectively addresses the psychosocial needs of the client's family.

Key Concept

Therapeutic Communication in Anticipatory Grief
Rate this question

Topics

End of Life Care

More questions from this topic