Author Question: A nurse is caring for a patient of a particular faith who is terminally ill. What is the nurse's ... (Read 88 times)

BRWH · **on:** Jul 19, 2018

A nurse is caring for a patient of a particular faith who is terminally ill. What is the nurse's best understanding regarding the patient's spirituality?

1. The patient's spirituality is defined by the religion's structure.
2. Spirituality is defined by the patient, not by the patient's religion.
3. Spirituality is defined by the patient's religion, not by the patient.
4. The patient's spirituality is defined by the religion's transcendent figure.

Question 2

A nurse is caring for a patient who is grieving after her spouse died suddenly and unexpectedly from cardiac arrest. The patient tells the nurse that the spouse's death is due to supernatural forces. What is the nurse's best response?

1. Supernatural forces are not the cause of your husband's death.
2. Why do you refuse to admit that the cause of your husband's death is heart disease?
3. Why do you think supernatural forces were the cause of your husband's death?
4. Supernatural forces may be to blame for your husband's death if you believe they are.

abctaiwan · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 19, 2018

Answer to Question 1

Answer: 2
Explanation: It is important for the nurse to understand that the individual who adopts a particular religious belief may not believe or practice every tenet of his or her religion and may, in fact, have his or her own individual answers to questions about life. Therefore, spirituality is defined by the patient, not by the patient's religion, religious structure, or transcendent figure.

Answer to Question 2

Answer: 3
Explanation: Some common health problems are attributed to different cultural beliefs. Among some members of the African American culture, sudden and unexplained death may be seen as being caused by voodoo or supernatural forces. To provide culturally competent care to the patient, the nurse should attempt to clarify the patient's beliefs or feelings. The nurse will not tell the patient that supernatural forces are either fictional or the cause of the spouse's death; both of these responses do not allow the patient to describe to the nurse the reasons why the patient feels that supernatural forces are to blame. The nurse should also not ask the patient why she refuses to believe that her spouse died due of heart disease; this response does not validate the patient's spiritual beliefs.