Which factor has the greatest influence on the hospice nurse's ability to provide respectful professional care?

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: Acceptance that death is a natural part of life. This factor is crucial for hospice nurses as it enables them to approach end-of-life care with compassion and understanding. By accepting death as a natural process, the nurse can provide respectful care without fear or denial. Possessing excellent nursing skills (B) is important but not as impactful as having the right mindset towards death. A healthy personal life (C) can contribute to overall well-being but may not directly impact the nurse's ability to provide respectful care. While the desire to work with both the patient and family (D) is important, it is the acceptance of death that underpins the nurse's ability to provide professional care in the hospice setting.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Lower the patient's current anxiety. This is the first step because a patient experiencing severe anxiety may not be able to focus on learning coping strategies until their anxiety is reduced. It is essential to address the immediate issue of anxiety to create a conducive environment for learning. Incorrect choices: A: Verify the patient's learning style - While understanding the patient's learning style is important, it is not the priority when the patient is in a state of severe anxiety. C: Create outcomes and a teaching plan - Developing outcomes and a teaching plan should come after addressing the immediate anxiety to ensure the patient can engage effectively in the learning process. D: Assess how the patient uses defense mechanisms - While understanding defense mechanisms is relevant, it is not the primary concern when the patient is in a state of severe anxiety.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B because only advanced practice nurses, such as psychiatric nurse practitioners, have the authority to prescribe psychotropic medication. This action requires specialized training and legal authorization beyond the scope of practice for staff nurses. Choice A is incorrect because staff nurses are trained to perform mental health assessments as part of their regular duties. Choice C is incorrect as establishing therapeutic relationships is a fundamental nursing skill that all nurses, including new staff nurses, are expected to possess. Choice D is incorrect because individualizing nursing care plans is a standard practice for all nurses based on the patient's specific needs.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: Provide a commonly understood diagnostic category for clinical practice. The DSM-IV-TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision) is primarily used to standardize the classification of mental disorders for diagnosis and treatment planning in clinical practice. It helps clinicians communicate effectively by providing a common language and set of criteria for diagnosing mental health conditions. Choice B is incorrect because the DSM-IV-TR focuses on classification rather than treatment modalities. Choice C is incorrect as the DSM-IV-TR does not focus on identifying etiologies based on family histories but rather on symptom criteria and patterns. Choice D is incorrect as the DSM-IV-TR does not provide specific optimal treatment outcomes but rather aids in accurate diagnosis and classification.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B because gender identity disorders involve distress related to the individual's assigned sex. This is a key characteristic as individuals with this disorder experience a strong and persistent discomfort with their biological sex. Choice A is incorrect as it refers to sexual orientation rather than gender identity. Choice C is incorrect as it describes a different disorder called paraphilic disorders. Choice D is incorrect as it pertains to sexual dysfunctions rather than gender identity disorders. Therefore, the instructor would include discomfort about one's assigned sex when discussing gender identity disorders to accurately educate the students.