End-of-Life Care and Palliative Nursing Flashcards
6 cards from real Gerontological Nurse Test practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 End-of-Life Care and Palliative Nursing flashcards as text
Grief that persists longer than expected and significantly impairs functioning is classified as:
Answer: Complicated grief (prolonged grief disorder)
Complicated grief, now recognized as prolonged grief disorder in DSM-5-TR, is characterized by persistent and disabling grief symptoms lasting beyond the expected period of adjustment.
A nurse is supporting a family whose loved one died in the hospital. Which action best demonstrates compassionate end-of-life nursing care?
Answer: Allowing the family adequate private time with the deceased and offering condolences
Providing uninterrupted private time with the deceased, demonstrating empathy, and supporting the family's grieving process are hallmarks of compassionate end-of-life nursing care.
Terminal sedation (palliative sedation) is ethically appropriate when:
Answer: The patient has refractory, uncontrollable suffering near the end of life
Palliative sedation is ethically justified for patients with refractory symptoms causing intolerable suffering at end of life when all other symptom management strategies have failed.
A gerontological nurse advocates for a patient with terminal illness by ensuring their expressed wishes regarding life-sustaining treatment are documented and honored. This reflects which ethical principle?
Answer: Autonomy
Respecting and upholding a patient's self-determined wishes regarding their own medical care directly reflects the ethical principle of autonomy.
Which non-pharmacological intervention can help manage dyspnea (breathlessness) in a dying patient?
Answer: Positioning a small fan to direct airflow across the patient's face
Cool airflow across the face from a small fan stimulates the trigeminal nerve and facial cold receptors, reducing the sensation of breathlessness even without changing actual oxygen levels.
An older adult states, 'I don't want any heroic measures done when I die.' The nurse's most appropriate action is to:
Answer: Encourage the patient to discuss their wishes with their physician and complete a formal advance directive
Informal verbal statements do not constitute a legally binding order; the nurse should facilitate a formal advance directive discussion with the physician to ensure the patient's wishes are legally documented.
How this page was made: written with AI tools and published by Nathan Beja, founder of Practice Test Geeks, who is responsible for its content. Exam facts are checked against the official sources listed below. Not reviewed by a subject-matter expert. Editorial policy
Sources & references
Exam facts on this page (fees, format, dates, passing scores) are checked against these official sources; the date is our last check. Editorial policy
- nursingworld.org — Test delivery, eligibility, exam format, test dates, time limit, score validity, passing score, score release · verified Oct 2026