Chapter 25 Case Study

1
.

A client has been diagnosed with end stage melanoma. Describe how the hospice nurse
can care for this clients physical needs?

The nurse cares for the clients physiological needs associated with the medical diagnosis
and symptoms.

Describe psychosocial care that a hospice nurse can render.

2
.

Psychosocial comfort needs relate to the internal awareness of oneself including esteem,
concept, sexuality, and meaning in ones life. The nurse have has an opportunity to
include these concepts in the care plan.

3
.

The clients wife tells the nurse that her husband will not take his pain medication because
he does not want to be out of it.

The nurse can encourage the client to take enough pain medication to dull the pain and

stay alert.

4
.

The clients children have expressed an overwhelming sorrow about their fathers terminal
diagnosis. They want to help the client but do not know how. What can the nurse do to
encourage more family involvement?

The nurse can encourage the children to have an honest conversation with their father.
The children can help the father in a number of ways that can provide comfort from
spending time with the client to cooking foods that he loves.