CHPNA Palliative Care Fundamentals 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary goal of palliative care?
- Cure the underlying disease
- Improve quality of life by relieving suffering (Correct answer)
- Extend life at all costs
- Provide only comfort medications
Correct answer: Improve quality of life by relieving suffering
Palliative care focuses on improving quality of life by preventing and relieving suffering through early identification and treatment of pain and other problems.
Question 2: Hospice care is typically provided to patients who have a prognosis of how long to live?
- 3 months or less
- 6 months or less (Correct answer)
- 12 months or less
- 24 months or less
Correct answer: 6 months or less
Hospice care in the US is generally available to patients with a terminal diagnosis and a prognosis of 6 months or less if the disease follows its normal course.
Question 3: Which of the following best describes the hospice philosophy?
- Aggressive treatment to prolong life
- Comfort-focused care that affirms life and regards dying as a normal process (Correct answer)
- Isolation of the patient from family
- Exclusively hospital-based care
Correct answer: Comfort-focused care that affirms life and regards dying as a normal process
The hospice philosophy views dying as a natural part of life and focuses on providing comfort, dignity, and support to patients and families.
Question 4: Who is considered part of the hospice interdisciplinary team?
- Only physicians and nurses
- Physician, nurse, social worker, chaplain, and nursing assistant (Correct answer)
- Only the patient's family
- Only licensed medical professionals
Correct answer: Physician, nurse, social worker, chaplain, and nursing assistant
The hospice interdisciplinary team typically includes physicians, nurses, social workers, chaplains, nursing assistants, and volunteers working together.
Question 5: What does 'DNR' stand for in hospice care?
- Do Not Respond
- Do Not Resuscitate (Correct answer)
- Do Not Restrict
- Do Not Report
Correct answer: Do Not Resuscitate
DNR stands for Do Not Resuscitate, an advance directive indicating that CPR should not be performed if the patient's heart stops or they stop breathing.
Question 6: Palliative care can be provided:
- Only at the end of life
- Only in hospitals
- Alongside curative treatment at any stage of serious illness (Correct answer)
- Only after all curative options have been exhausted
Correct answer: Alongside curative treatment at any stage of serious illness
Palliative care can be provided at any stage of a serious illness and can be given alongside curative or life-prolonging treatments.
CHPNA Palliative Care Fundamentals 1
What is the primary goal of palliative care?