The Patient's Spouse Is Terrified by the Prospect of Removing

question 11

Multiple Choice

The patient's spouse is terrified by the prospect of removing life-sustaining treatments from the patient and asks why anyone would do that.The nurse explains,

• A) "It is to save you money so that you won't have such a large financial burden."
• B) "It will preserve limited resources for the hospital so that other patients may benefit from them."
• C) "It is to discontinue treatments that are not helping your loved one and that may be very uncomfortable."
• D) "We have done all we can for your loved one, and any more treatment would be futile."

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Definitions:

Cognitive Shortcuts

Simplified strategies or heuristics used by the brain to make complex decision-making processes quicker and more efficient.

Decision

A decision refers to the choice made between two or more alternatives, after considering the consequences and benefits of each.

Simulation Heuristic

A cognitive process where individuals predict the frequency of an event based on how easily they can imagine it happening.