CHPN General Knowledge 2

Question 1

Which Medicare hospice benefit condition requires that two physicians certify a terminal prognosis?

Accepted Answer

Life expectancy of 6 months or less if disease runs its normal course

Answer

Medicare hospice eligibility requires certification by the attending physician and hospice medical director that life expectancy is 6 months or less if the illness runs its normal course.

Question 2

A patient on hospice develops new-onset dyspnea. Which non-pharmacological intervention should the nurse try first?

Accepted Answer

Direct a fan toward the patient's face to stimulate cool airflow

Answer

A fan directed at the face stimulates trigeminal nerve receptors, reducing the sensation of dyspnea and is a first-line non-pharmacological intervention.

Question 3

When assessing a cognitively intact hospice patient's pain, which tool is most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

Numeric Rating Scale (NRS)

Answer

The Numeric Rating Scale is the preferred self-report tool for cognitively intact adults who can verbally rate pain from 0 to 10.

Question 4

Which of the following best describes the principle of double effect in palliative care?

Accepted Answer

An action intended to relieve suffering may be justified even if it has a foreseen but unintended harmful effect

Answer

The principle of double effect holds that an action intended to produce a good effect is ethically permissible even if a harmful side effect is foreseen but unintended.

Question 5

A hospice nurse notes a patient has Cheyne-Stokes respirations. This finding most likely indicates:

Accepted Answer

Approaching death, typically within hours to days

Answer

Cheyne-Stokes respirations — cycles of apnea and hyperpnea — are a common sign of imminent death, typically occurring hours to days before death.

CHPN - Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse Practice Test

CHPN - Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse Practice Test

CHPN General Knowledge 2