Author Question: There is a different focus for the client with hospice nursing care. The nurse is aware that client ... (Read 32 times)

misspop · **on:** Jul 23, 2018

There is a different focus for the client with hospice nursing care. The nurse is aware that client care provided through a hospice is:

1. Designed to meet the client's individual wishes, as much as possible
2. Aimed at offering curative treatment plans intended for client recovery
3. Involved in teaching families and/or caregivers to provide postmortem care
4. Offered primarily for hospitalized clients for whom at-home care is not possible

Question 2

To provide comfort for the client, while preparing to assist the client in the end stage of her life in response to anticipated symptom development, the nurse plans to:

1. Decrease the client's fluid intake
2. Limit the use of over-the-counter analgesics
3. Provide larger meals with more appealing seasoning
4. Determine valued activities and schedule rest periods

macmac · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 23, 2018

Answer to Question 1

ANS: 1
The nurse's role in hospice is to meet the primary wishes of the dying client and to be open to individual desires of each client. The nurse supports a client's choice in maintaining comfort and dignity. Hospice care is for the terminally ill. It is not aimed at offering curative treatment, but rather the emphasis is on palliative care. Hospice care may provide bereavement follow-up for the family after a client's death, but hospice nurses typically do not teach the family postmortem care. Hospice care is primarily for home care, but a client in a hospice may become hospitalized.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: 4
To promote comfort in the terminally ill client, the nurse should help the client to identify values or desired tasks; then help the client to conserve energy for those tasks. Decreasing the client's fluid intake may make the terminally ill client more prone to dehydration and constipation. The nurse should take measures to help maintain oral intake, such as administering antiemetics, ap-plying topical analgesics to oral lesions, and offering ice chips. The use of analgesics should not be limited. Controlling the terminally ill client's level of pain is a primary concern in promoting comfort. Nausea and vomiting and anorexia may increase the terminally ill client's likelihood of inadequate nutrition. The nurse should serve smaller portions and bland foods, which may be more palatable.