Author Question: An important trait seen in a nurse who is effective in caring for the terminally ill is emotional ... (Read 23 times)

hubes95 · **on:** Jul 11, 2018

An important trait seen in a nurse who is effective in caring for the terminally ill is emotional maturity. Which statement by a nurse shows this maturity?

a. I cry for a client when I'm alone but never when I'm with them.
b. My job is to create a 'good death' for my clients.
c. This is a stressful job and it isn't something just any nurse can do.
d. My clients are the best part of this emotionally draining job.

Question 2

A 69-year-old patient in the geriatric clinic has an annual physical examination and a complete blood count and serum electrolytes are drawn. While the physical examination was uneventful the laboratory results show an elevated blood urea nitrogen (BUN).

a. Ask that the test be rerun since the client showed no physical signs of renal failure.
b. Review the client's medication list since BUN can be affected by many spe-cific medications.
c. Instruct the client on collecting a 24-hour urine specimen for a more detailed analysis.
d. Assure the client that an elevated BUN is normal in older adults.

Gabe · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 11, 2018

Answer to Question 1

ANS: A
Emotional maturity requires that a nurse must be comfortable with their own lives or at least be able to set aside their own sadness and grief while working with that of others. The re-sponsibility of a good death is not the nurse's alone. Being able to effectively and compas-sionately care for a dying client and a grieving family while managing one's own grief is vi-tal.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: B
BUN can be elevated as a result of certain medication therapies and so the nurse should as-sess for this possibility. An elevated BUN is not diagnostic of renal failure alone and will not necessarily be reflected in physical symptoms. A 24-hour urine sample will not generally done to determine BUN levels. An elevated BUN is not expected as a normal part of aging. Renal functioning decreases substantially with aging, but in most cases the body is able to compensate adequately with only slight increases in laboratory findings.