End of Life Practice NCLEX Questions

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End of Life Practice NCLEX Questions and Answers | Latest Version | 2025/2026 | Correct & Verified

A client with terminal liver cancer tells the nurse, “I’m tired of fighting. I just want to go peacefully.” What is the best response by the nurse?

• “You shouldn’t say that. You need to keep fighting.”

✔✔ B. “I hear that you’re tired. Can you tell me more about how you’re feeling?”

• “Have you talked to your doctor about increasing your medications?”
• “Don’t worry, we will try new treatments to make you feel better.”

A dying client begins experiencing noisy respirations. What is the most appropriate action by the nurse?

• Encourage the client to cough

✔✔ B. Reposition the client and provide oral suctioning if needed

• Increase fluid intake
• Administer a stimulant

A hospice client has decreased appetite and is refusing meals. What is the nurse's best response to the family’s concern? 1 / 3

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• “We can provide a feeding tube to maintain nutrition.”
• “It’s important that they continue eating to stay strong.”

✔✔ C. “Decreased appetite is normal in the dying process and we can focus on comfort.”

• “Try forcing small bites of food every hour.”

Which of the following signs indicates that death is imminent?

• Increased appetite

✔✔ B. Irregular, shallow breathing

• Increased urine output
• Hyperactivity

A family is crying at the bedside of a dying client. What is the most therapeutic response by the nurse?

• “You need to be strong right now.”
• “Everything will be okay.”

✔✔ C. “It’s okay to cry. I’m here with you.”

• “Let’s focus on making them comfortable.”
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The nurse enters the room and finds the dying client unresponsive with cool extremities. What is the best nursing action?

• Begin CPR immediately

✔✔ B. Provide comfort measures and notify the provider if not already aware

• Ask the family to step out
• Attempt to arouse the client

A terminally ill client with lung cancer states, “I feel like I’m just a burden to my family.” What is the nurse’s most appropriate response?

• “Don’t say that. They love you.”
• “They’re happy to care for you.”

✔✔ C. “Tell me more about what makes you feel like a burden.”

• “Let me get your doctor to talk to you.”

Which action best supports dignity in a dying client?

• Asking frequent questions about pain level

✔✔ B. Maintaining privacy and respecting the client’s preferences

• Administering laxatives regularly
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