ATI RN
ATI Client Comfort and End of Life Care Quizlet Questions
Question 1 of 5
The spouse of a client receiving palliative care asks why the client is getting morphine. What is the basis of the nurse's response?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The basis of the nurse's response is to promote comfort, as morphine in palliative care manages severe pain or dyspnea, enhancing quality of life when curing isn't the goal. It targets opioid receptors to dull pain perception, easing suffering in terminal illness. Choice A, curing the illness, is incorrectpalliative care focuses on symptom relief, not cure, accepting disease progression. Choice B, improving alertness, contradicts morphine's sedative effect; it may calm agitation but typically drowses, not sharpens focus. Choice D, increasing appetite, isn't morphine's purposepain relief might indirectly help eating, but it's not primary. Choice C is correct, reflecting palliative care's ethosnurses explain morphine's role in comfort, reassuring families it's about dignity and peace, not hastening death, aligning with holistic end-of-life support.
Question 2 of 5
The spouse of a client with chronic pain asks the nurse why the client is depressed. What would be the basis of the nurse's response?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The basis of the nurse's response is chronic pain itself, as persistent pain often causes depression by disrupting neurotransmitters (e.g., serotonin), fostering hopelessness, and limiting life enjoyment. This bidirectional linkpain worsening mood, mood amplifying painis well-established. Choice A, lack of activity, contributes but isn't primary; pain drives inactivity, not vice versa. Choice C, poor nutrition, may affect health but lacks direct evidence tying it to depression herepain's emotional toll is stronger. Choice D, medication side effects, like opioid-induced sedation, can depress mood, but the question implies pain's role, not treatment. Choice B is correct, guiding nurses to explain this connection, validating the spouse's observation, and suggesting integrated care (e.g., antidepressants, therapy) to break the pain-depression cycle, improving the client's overall well-being.
Question 3 of 5
A client asks the nurse why a narcotic analgesic makes the client feel nauseated. What would be the basis of the nurse's response?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The basis of the nurse's response is the effect on the brain, as narcotic analgesics (opioids) like morphine stimulate the chemoreceptor trigger zone in the medulla, triggering nauseaa central nervous system side effect, not just digestive. This explains its prevalence across opioid types. Choice A, stomach irritation, contributes (e.g., oral opioids), but nausea often persists with IV delivery, pointing to brain involvement over local upset. Choice C, allergic reaction, is unlikelynausea is a common side effect, not a rare hypersensitivity sign like rash. Choice D, rapid absorption, affects onset, not nausea directly; slow-release forms still cause it. Choice B is correct, enabling nurses to explain this CNS effect, reassuring clients it's typical, and offering antiemetics (e.g., ondansetron) to manage it, ensuring narcotic use continues for pain relief without undue distress.
Question 4 of 5
A client asks the nurse why pain medication is given before physical therapy. What would be the basis of the nurse's response?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The basis of the nurse's response is to minimize discomfort, as pre-therapy pain medication reduces pain during movement, enabling active participation in physical therapy (e.g., stretching) without distresskey for recovery or chronic pain management. Timing optimizes function. Choice A, prevent drowsiness, is backwardanalgesics may cause it, but that's not the goal here. Choice B, reduce muscle tension, occurs indirectly, but discomfort reduction drives dosing, not just tension relief. Choice C, increase pain tolerance, is vaguemedication lowers pain perception, not tolerance capacity. Choice D is correct, guiding nurses to explain this preemptive strategye.g., taking ibuprofen 30 minutes priorensuring therapy's benefits (mobility) outweigh pain barriers, enhancing outcomes in rehab or chronic care.
Question 5 of 5
A client asks the nurse why pain seems worse when the client is stressed. What would be the basis of the nurse's response?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The basis of the nurse's response is reduced pain tolerance, as stress elevates cortisol and adrenaline, lowering the threshold for pain perceptionamplifying its intensity without changing its source. This psychological overlay is key. Choice A, increased muscle tension, contributes (e.g., clenched shoulders), but tolerance reduction is broader, affecting all pain types. Choice C, poor circulation, may worsen ischemic pain, but stress's effect is neural, not vascular-specific. Choice D, increased inflammation, needs chronic stress evidenceacute stress heightens perception, not swelling. Choice B is correct, enabling nurses to explain this link, suggesting relaxation (e.g., breathing) or timed meds to boost tolerance, helping clients manage pain's stress-driven spikes effectively.