CHPN FREE Hospice and Palliative Nurse Basic Questions and Answers 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is the PRIMARY goal of hospice care?
- Curing the underlying disease
- Extending life as long as possible
- Providing comfort and quality of life (Correct answer)
- Aggressive treatment of all symptoms
Correct answer: Providing comfort and quality of life
Hospice care focuses on comfort and quality of life rather than curative treatment for patients with terminal illness.
Question 2: A hospice patient with a prognosis of six months or less is eligible for the Medicare Hospice Benefit under which part of Medicare?
- Part A (Correct answer)
- Part B
- Part C
- Part D
Correct answer: Part A
The Medicare Hospice Benefit is covered under Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance).
Question 3: What is the role of the interdisciplinary team (IDT) in hospice care?
- To make all medical decisions without family input
- To collaboratively develop and review the patient's plan of care (Correct answer)
- To focus exclusively on the patient's physical needs
- To limit communication between disciplines
Correct answer: To collaboratively develop and review the patient's plan of care
The IDT collaboratively develops, reviews, and revises the plan of care to address the patient's holistic needs.
Question 4: Which scale is most commonly used by hospice nurses to assess a patient's functional status and prognosis?
- Glasgow Coma Scale
- Palliative Performance Scale (PPS) (Correct answer)
- Braden Scale
- Morse Fall Scale
Correct answer: Palliative Performance Scale (PPS)
The Palliative Performance Scale (PPS) measures functional status using ambulation, activity, self-care, intake, and consciousness level.
Question 5: A hospice nurse notices a patient is experiencing Cheyne-Stokes respirations. This pattern most likely indicates which of the following?
- The patient is experiencing anxiety
- The patient is in the active phase of dying (Correct answer)
- The patient has a pulmonary embolism
- The patient needs increased opioid dosing
Correct answer: The patient is in the active phase of dying
Cheyne-Stokes respirations, characterized by alternating periods of apnea and hyperpnea, are a common sign of the active dying process.
Question 6: Which ethical principle supports a competent patient's right to refuse life-sustaining treatment in hospice care?
- Beneficence
- Justice
- Autonomy (Correct answer)
- Nonmaleficence
Correct answer: Autonomy
Autonomy is the ethical principle that upholds a competent patient's right to make their own healthcare decisions, including refusing treatment.
CHPN FREE Hospice and Palliative Nurse Basic Questions and Answers 2
Which of the following is the PRIMARY goal of hospice care?