A patient diagnosed with terminal illness says to the nurse “I’m going to die, and I wish my family would stop hoping for a cure! I get really angry when they carry on like this. After all, I’m the one who’s dying.”
What therapeutic response will you give as a nurse and why?
Based on the principle of therapeutic communication, A competent Nurse should answer such a patient with an open ended question.
E.g. Restating the question.
So,in this case…my response would be👇👇
You’re feeling angry that your family continues to hope for you to be cured?”
1)Giving this response to the client would let the client know whether his complain or statement has been understood or not.
2)It helps build a strong Nurse-Client relationship.
3)Allows the Nurse to better understand what a client has just said and to gain further clarity, if the Nurse has gotten it wrong.
🙈🙈🙈🙈
Restating is the best way to respond to a client’s feelings.
Very correct!
Repeating what the client has said in approximately or nearly the same words the client has used is the most therapeutic response to give!
It helps you understand the client more; builds a better nurse- client relationship; reassures the client that you understand him/her; encourages the patient to expand on the problem; enables the patient understand his/her reasons for the behavior exhibited or statement made; and makes the client be an active participant in the conversation.
Restating is indeed the best way to respond to the clients feelings.
Thank you very much for attempting today’s review question.
Warm regards
I understand where the person is coming from. I mean like a forth stage cancer where there probably isn’t any hope but your family keeps hoping that you’ll live.
As a nurse I would tell him or her that even if you are going to die, also keep hoping that maybe somehow a miracle will happen and you’ll live. But also use the time you have with your family. Love them like never before and spend most of your time with them.
They know you are going to die but they aren’t giving up why?
It’s because they love so don’t let their efforts go to waste by complaining but try and do your best to make the medications you are giving work and if at the end you die. You’ll die with no regrets
Hello Bethylizzy,
Telling the patient not to give up on hope is not a therapeutic response since it doesn’t encourage the patient to expand on the problem.
As a nurse, you should encourage the patient to identify the reasons for the behaviour by restating the question to help them discuss their problems.
Thank you
I’ll restate the question by asking him why he feels angry that his family continues to hope for a cure.
That way,i’ll get to know the reason why the patient feels so.I will also get the patient to express his feelings,and see what i can do to calm him down.
Correct!
Repeating what the client has said in approximately or nearly the same words the client has used is the most therapeutic response to give!
It helps you understand the client more; builds a better nurse- client relationship; reassures the client that you understand him/her; encourages the patient to expand on the problem; enables the patient understand his/her reasons for the behavior exhibited or statement made; and makes the client be an active participant in the conversation.
Restating is indeed the best way to respond to the clients feelings.
Thank you very much for attempting today’s review question.
Warm regards
Once there Life, There is hope…… Terminal diseases can be gone in a flash it has happened in so many cases in this hospital and am a living witness ……it is very possible my dear Only God has the final say……… Your family is all you got in this life and they will always support you no matter what,which shows that they love and care for you …. They have faith that you will be fine, you should have faith too and put your trust in God…….pray like never before and follow the doctor’s advice hopefully your story might change and the incurable becomes curable.
Hi Chris,
Offering personal experiences moves the focus away from the patient which is not a therapeutic response since it doesn’t encourage the patient to expand on the problem.
As a nurse, you should encourage the patient to identify the reasons for the behaviour by restating the question to help them discuss their problems.
Thank you
I will just tell the patient to have hope bcoz it looks like the patient don lost hope and he/she should show some emotion to his/her family bcoz it is not easy to lose one’s family.
In such situations, it’ll be hard to give false hopes to the dying patient with terminal illness and it’ll be somehow harsh to tell them the pure fact “You will die”💔…
But one could at least try and make the patient remember things he/she will love to do if he were to be alive and healthy I think that should elevate their mood as at that moment, like if it’s a father one can reply “No, don’t say that… You know your daughter over there wish she could play hide and seek with you, go visit the beach with you and you have to stay alive in order for you to do that… Just, stay with me, okay? You’re not alone, we’ll all be okay… Just stay with me…”
Something of that nature sha just to keep them alive for the moment…😩
Hi Tylenol,
Informing the patient of the life he will miss once he’s no more is not a therapeutic response since it doesn’t encourage the patient to expand on the problem.
As a nurse, you should encourage the patient to identify the reasons for the behaviour by restating the question to help them discuss their problems.
Thank you
“It is the ultimate form of courage to have hope, especially when things seem so hopeless. Hoping for a cure means they really care and want you with them for as long as possible. There is no need to be angry”
I chose this response because it seems most logical. Nothing can be achieved if you give in despair but hope can make even the last minute enjoyable, even if there’s really no cure. There’s no need to be miserable until your last breathe
Hi cause_and_effect,
Telling the patient not to give up on hope is not a therapeutic response since it doesn’t encourage the patient to expand on the problem.
As a nurse, you should encourage the patient to identify the reasons for the behaviour by restating the question to help them discuss their problems.
Thank you
Even if you die, your family will still suffer from loosing you. They’re carrying on because they love you and they’re not happy about your illness. I know these are difficult times but remember you can’t take your life I it’s not God’s will
Hello Lilian,
Reminding the patient the effect his/her death will cause the family is not a therapeutic response since it doesn’t encourage the patient to expand on the problem.
As a nurse, you should encourage the patient to identify the reasons for the behaviour by restating the question to help them discuss their problems.
Thank you
I’m going to tell the patient that when there’s life there’s hope.. And I’m going to give her examples of people who broke the odds and made it out of a life threatening circumstances..
I’m going to tell her all this because I’m a physician who believes in the miraculous works of God. So all the patient gotta do is believe.. And I’m going to tell the patient that I’m not also gonna give up also.. Just to make her be more optimistic and ready to fight to live till death
Hello Peter,
Telling the patient not to give up on hope is not a therapeutic response since it doesn’t encourage the patient to expand on the problem.
As a nurse, you should encourage the patient to identify the reasons for the behaviour by restating the question to help them discuss their problems.
Thank you
Why I said that is because when a patient is optimistic the treatment tends to work better for him or her
From my assessment, patient is in last stage of grief ie acceptance(according to kobler Ross stages of dying). Patient have reached the Final stage of grief but their family is yet to.. I will simply say ” they actually wish to help you although they can’t, pls give them time to accept the situation”. Obviously, the family is yet to accept that their loved one will die. As a nurse, it is unprofessional to give false hope to a patient. Tell them the situation of things in a pleasant word.
Hi Francis,
As a nurse, you should encourage the patient to identify the reasons for the behaviour by restating the question to help them discuss their problems.
Thank you
My advice to the person as a Nurse would be;
Please don’t be annoyed because your family hoping for a cure means they love, care for you and don’t want to loose you.
Also Never loose hope in the condition you are presently in because a miracle could happen in the last minute and also researches are being carried out day by day and so, never give up till your last breath.
Hello De zainer,
Giving advice to a patient is not a therapeutic response since it doesn’t encourage the patient to expand on the problem.
As a nurse, you need to encourage the widest range of client response and makes the client be an active participant in the conversation.
Thank you
I’m going to make the patient know that I understand him/her discussing the problem with the patient so as to be able to make the patient interact with me more and form a bond that makes the patient understand his / her issues more
Hi Peter,
Indicating reception of the clients statement is a therapeutic response but this alone doesn’t encourage the patient to expand on the problem.
As a nurse, you need to encourage the widest range of client response and make the client be an active participant in the conversation.
Thank you
For me I would say the best thing the nurse could say would be ” I agree with you, it’s not as though they know what you are going through. I will talk to them about that but even though u may die let’s find a way to be happy and cheerful till then.” The nurse should also emphasize the fact that it’s a MAY DIE situation meaning that he or she may survive if they decide to fight it
Hello dinma,
Your approach to the situation is not a therapeutic response since it doesn’t encourage the patient to expand on the problem.
As a nurse, you should encourage the patient to identify the reasons for the behaviour by restating the question to help them discuss their problems.
Thank you
Life will always try to put you in a very tight position and difficult situation.
Life will always give you 1001 reason to be sad and unhappy.
But irrespective of what you are passing through in life, your ability to handle the issues of life with a positive mindset will surely settle almost all the problem you have in life.
Just because u came crashing to the floor doesn’t mean u should sink to the ground like water (surely, there is more to life here on earth).
For life itself is a battle ground that that you must fight to create a path for yourself Irrespective of the circumstances surrounding your life.
A terminal illness doesn’t necessarily mean that you will die today, tomorrow or next.( surely there is more to life here on earth).
So, have a reason to smile and approach the issues of life with a positive mindset( itz just a matter of time, everything will certainly fall in place).
PSYCHOLOGICAL…
Hello Jey,
Giving advice to a patient is not a therapeutic response since it doesn’t encourage the patient to expand on the problem.
As a nurse, you need to encourage the widest range of client response and makes the client be an active participant in the conversation.
Thank you
When someone dies, the pain is not felt by the dead but by the loved ones they leave behind. If he/she has lost all forms of hope. He should at least not take away the hope of his loved ones because it is they who will feel the aftermath of his death. It is their right to hope
Hi Cubes,
This approach or response moves the focus away from the patient to the family which is not a therapeutic response since it doesn’t encourage the patient to expand on the problem.
As a nurse, you should encourage the patient to identify the reasons for the behaviour by restating the question to help them discuss their problems.
Thank you
When there is life, there is hope. For your family to be footing the bills to this time means they have not lost hope in your recovery. Why then do you want to lose hope now. Besides alot of people survive illnesses like this, therefore, there are chances you would live and get to your feet once more. Just he optimistic, your family are counting on you. please don’t give up as you have made it up to this time.
Hello Owusonabi,
Telling the patient not to give up on hope is not a therapeutic response since it doesn’t encourage the patient to expand on the problem.
As a nurse, you should encourage the patient to identify the reasons for the behaviour by restating the question to help them discuss their problems.
Thank you
Well for me it’s obvious you can’t say it’s going to be okay but I will tell them that everything loves them and they should just try to take the day as it comes and see how they can enjoy it… I’ll also try to ask them how they are doing and try to see how I could talk about something that will make them remember a good memory and tell them to basically feel free to talk to me concerning anything because I’m willing to be there for them 🤷🏽♀️
Probably you should allow/provide the patient an opportunity to express all their feelings as it might make them feel better and then see the problem from the patients point of view(empathy) and provide support/counselling to the patient and patients family
I’m going to start by asking a question from what he/she said and say u feel angry when your family keep on hoping for a cure?.. i’m going to discuss the patient complaint and problems with him so as to make the bond between us stronger and so as for the patient to know whether he /she complaint is well understood and to also enable me to gain the clarity on where I had the wrong idea to be able to make corrections and to enable the patient to give reasons why he/she get angry at the attitude of her family members.
Repeating what the client has said in approximately or nearly the same words the client has used is the most therapeutic response to give as a nurse!
“You’re feeling angry that your family continues to hope for you to be cured?”
Restating helps you understand the client more; builds a better nurse- client relationship; reassures the client that you understand him/her; encourages the patient to expand on the problem; enables the patient understand his/her reasons for the behavior exhibited or statement made; and makes the client be an active participant in the conversation.
Restating is indeed the best way to respond to the clients feelings.
Restating the client question means the nurse want to really understand what the client meant. And it create a nurse patient relationship