Author Question: A patient tells his family, I don't know why I was placed on this earth just to suffer from cancer ... (Read 71 times)

Tirant22 · **on:** Jun 25, 2018

A patient tells his family, I don't know why I was placed on this earth just to suffer from cancer all my life. I just want to die. The nurse realizes the patient

a. has lost control of the situation.
b. is expressing spiritual despair.
c. is becoming anxious with the situation.
d. will become withdrawn from his or her care.

Question 2

Prolonged periods of anxious waiting, disrupted sleep patterns, witnessing emergency interventions, and financial concerns could put family members at risk for developing

a. powerlessness.
b. hopelessness.
c. anxiety.
d. PTSD.

eliasc0401 · **Reply #1 on:** Jun 25, 2018

Answer to Question 1

B
Some individuals in spiritual despair may question their existence, verbalize their wish to die, or display anger toward religious traditions. Patients who have a pervasive sense that they can do nothing to change or control their circumstances are at risk for feeling powerless. Anxiety is a normal and common subjective human response to a perceived or actual threat, which can range from a vague, generalized feeling of discomfort to a state of panic and loss of control.

Answer to Question 2

D
Family members are at risk for developing post-traumatic stress reactions related to prolonged periods of uncertainty, anxious waiting, disrupted sleep patterns, financial concerns, witnessing emergency interventions, and confronting fears of loss and death. Anxiety is a normal and common subjective human response to a perceived or actual threat, which can range from a vague, generalized feeling of discomfort to a state of panic and loss of control. Conditions that increase a person's risk for feeling hopeless include a loss of dignity, long-term stress, loss of self-esteem, spiritual distress, and isolation, all of which can be present in a critical care experience. Patients who have a pervasive sense that they can do nothing to change or control their circumstances are at risk for feeling powerless.