Deck 10: Practice Issues Related to End-Of-Life Care

Question 1

In which circumstance does Curtin suggest that artificial sources of nutrition may be terminated?

A) when utilizing other technologies at the end of life
B) when there is a reliable prediction of permanent unconsciousness
C) when other interventions will relieve a patient's suffering
D) when changes in the patient's condition will eventually lead to starvation

Answer 1

when there is a reliable prediction of permanent unconsciousness

Question 2

Which of the following can be both a benefit and a challenge of technological advances in health care?

A) supporting healthy living
B) availability and cost
C) prolonging life
D) alleviating suffering

Answer 2

prolonging life

Question 3

What ethical dilemma may arise from the use of life-sustaining technologies associated with health care providers ?

A) having each person define a quality of life
B) when families typically opt for fewer interventions
C) that technology permits a more peaceful death
D) the idea that death is an enemy to be overcome

Answer 3

the idea that death is an enemy to be overcome

Question 4

Which of the following is synonymous with palliative care?

A) support of patients who face illness that is not responsive to curative treatment
B) aggressive treatment of chronic health problems to support symptom relief
C) short-term treatment for an episode of illness in an urgent manner
D) delivery of co-ordinated and continuous services for an acute disease or illness

Question 5

Regardless of technological development and scientific advances, what are the important considerations for nursing to relate to?

A) basing decisions on personal values
B) acknowledging the importance of advanced technology
C) being attentive to technology
D) maintaining the human focus of care

Question 6

Since a prime nursing focus is to relieve suffering, what must nurses understand about health care technologies?

A) They are good because they always support a patient's health and well-being.
B) They may cause conflict between doing good and avoiding harm to patients.
C) They are necessary interventions even if they cause patients to suffer.
D) They may cause nurses to do harmful things to patients against their wishes.

Question 7

According to Taylor (1950), how might the subject of medical futility be approached?

A) whether the intervention is prolonging living or prolonging dying
B) as non-beneficial, with involvement of parties regarding what is benefit or burden
C) as treatment valued by the patient but not medically indicated
D) that only the perspective of the physician determines what is a futile measure

Question 8

What is the term for instructions designating someone to act as a surrogate in a very specific context if one loses decision-making capacity?

A) guardian ad litem
B) advance directives
C) self-determination
D) do not resuscitate

Question 9

According to the textbook, what does the term "medical futility" mean?

A) a physician alone defining overall treatment and the value of medically indicated care
B) causing painless death of the person in order to end suffering
C) treatment beneficial to both physical and overall well-being
D) treatment valued by the patient but not medically indicated

Question 10

To appropriately utilize health care technology, what must health care providers, patients, and families understand?

A) its purpose, benefits, and limitations
B) its cost, availability, and usefulness
C) its outcomes, benefits, and cost
D) its risks, availability, and purpose

Question 11

How can withholding or removing treatments where the burden or harm to the person is determined to outweigh the benefits be viewed?

A) as allowing the person to die as a result of the natural progression of the disease process
B) as causing the painless death of the person in order to end or prevent more suffering
C) as providing the person the means to end his or her own life when he or she is ready to die
D) as following the directives to avoid suffering included in do not resuscitate orders

Question 12

What is the term for a situation where a competent patient is refusing food or fluid when there is a prediction of death, yet the family requests tube feeding?

A) medical futility
B) advance directives
C) technological dilemma
D) palliative care

Question 13

What is the legal indication associated with a do not resuscitate (DNR) order?

A) Medical therapies and interventions are to be avoided.
B) Life-sustaining interventions are to be discontinued.
C) Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is to be avoided.
D) Palliative care is to be discontinued or avoided.

Question 14

What does the nurse need to understand about assessing a patient's quality of life (QOL)?

A) It is an objective measure of comfort and factors that make life worth living.
B) It is considered good only if the patient feels fulfilled and can be independent.
C) It generally means the same thing to most patients, families, and nurses.
D) It includes subjective ideas about conditions of life and functional ability.