Grieving & Loss Exam Review Two: Articles 17-33
Exam Two is on Monday, February 5, 2001
#17. THE REQUEST TO DIE, PHILIP R. MUSKIN
1. A patient's wish to end his or her life, as presented in "The
Request to Die," is most often associated with:
a. inadequately treated pain.
b. confusion over the extent of the disease.
c. feelings of distrust for the physicians and medical
establishment in general.
d. a clinical depression.
2. One of the nations in which physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia are legal and documented, as reported in "The Request
to Die," is:
a. Japan.
b. the United States.
c. France.
d. the Netherlands.
3. Critics of the psychodynamic approach to a patient's
communication of a wish to die, as described in "The Request to
Die," often believe the approach:
a. seeks to find hidden meanings without considering the
importance of the communication itself.
b. shields physicians from confronting their often
ambivalent
feelings towards terminally ill patients.
c. denies the patient's right to self-determination.
d. seeks to encourage patients to commit suicide without
the assistance of their physician.
4. According to "The Request to Die," often a patient's request to die is an attempt to:
a. lose control over the illness.
b. shield family members from the patient's feelings of
hopelessness.
c. open communication with the physician about reasons to
continue living.
d. ask for continued treatment in the cure of the disease.
5. The majority of people who are terminally ill, as maintained in "The Request to Die," wish to end their lives prematurely. True or False
6. Some patients and families believe, as presented in "The Request to Die," that a physician's attempts to explore the underlying reasons behind a request to die is a denial of the patient's rights to choose his or her own death. True or False
#18. QUALITY END-OF-LIFE CARE,
PETER A. SINGER, DOUGLAS K. MARTIN, AND MERRIJOY KELNER
1. The end-of-life care study presented in "Quality End-of-Life
Care" differs notably from previously published studies in this
area because it:
nurses.
b. was taken from the point of view of patients.
c. relies on interviews with healthy adults, rather than
terminally ill patients.
d. was designed and conducted by people facing their own
terminal illness.
2. According to "Quality End-of-Life Care," previous studies of
end-stage care have focused on outcomes from the perspective of:
a. insurance companies.
b. patients.
c. families of patients.
d. health-care professionals.
3. The data-collection method used in the study described in
"Quality End-of-Life Care," consisted of:
a. written surveys.
b. group interview sessions.
c. individual interviews.
d. ongoing observation of the patients.
4. As presented in "Quality End-of-Life Care," the areas in which
patients did not want to burden their families consisted of all
of the following except:
a. witnessing their death.
b. informing others of their death.
c. providing physical care.
d. making decisions concerning life-sustaining treatment.
5. The medical establishment, as reported in "Quality End-of-Life
Care," has recently issued agreed-on standards for measuring the
quality of end-of-life care. True or false
6. All of the participants of the end-stage care study cited in
"Quality End-of-Life Care" had originally been enrolled in other
health-related studies. True or False
#19. MAUMEE: MY WALDEN POND, ROGER C. BONE
1. As explained in "Maumee: My Walden Pond," until his illness, the author believed he was experienced in dealing with death and
dying because he had:
a. witnessed the deaths of family and friends over the
years.
b. worked as a hospice volunteer.
c. experienced the death of patients as a doctor.
d. previously faced death following a serious car accident.
2. As described in "Maumee: My Walden Pond," the author is dying
from:
a. heart failure.
b. metastic renal cancer.
c. an infection from an old war injury.
d. liver disease.
3. The author's appreciation for life, as presented in "Maumee: My Walden Pond," has deepened with his illness, especially for:
a. his medical research.
b. charities and public service.
c. religion.
d. nature.
4. Until his diagnosis with cancer, as stated in "Maumee: My Walden Pond," the author had never even come close to confronting the possibility of his own death. True or False
5. As his illness progressed, as noted in "Maumee: My Walden Pond," the author was surprised to find that his mental and emotional collapse closely mirrored his physical decline. T or F
#20. HOSPICE CARE FOR THE 1990S: A CONCEPT COMING OF AGE,
MARIAN GENTILE AND MARYANNE FELLO
1. According to "Hospice Care for the 1990s," most hospice programs are organized around:
a. an interdisciplinary team of care professionals.
the care.
c. a local religious community.
d. concerns for the legal and ethical standards of end-stage
care.
2. The hospice team member looking most closely at families and
family dynamics, as maintained in "Hospice Care for the 1990s,"
is the:
a. medical director.
b. chaplain.
c. hospice nurse.
d. hospice counselor.
3. The first U.S. hospice, according to "Hospice Care for the
1990s," was formed in:
a. Chicago.
b. New Haven.
c. Miami.
d. Boston.
4. The authors' hospice, as noted in "Hospice Care for the 1990s," has developed a fairly rigid set of criteria for admission, including all of the following except:
a. no availability of life-support systems.
b. patient's awareness of diagnosis and prognosis.
c. patient and family's clear understanding of the goals of
hospice care.
d. completion of all active, curative treatment.
5. The most critical nutrition issue for the terminally ill, as
addressed in "Hospice Care for the 1990s," is:
a. anemia.
b. nausea.
c. hydration.
d. anorexia.
6. Morphine, as suggested in "Hospice Care for the 1990s," is the
most useful drug in pain management. T or F
7. The nutritional content of food, as claimed in "Hospice Care for the 1990s," is far less important for the terminally ill than
being able to eat and to enjoy the experience of eating. T or F
#21. DOCTOR, I WANT TO DIE. WILL YOU HELP ME? TIMOTHY E. QUILL
1. A patient's request to die, as discussed in "Doctor, I Want to
Die," should be considered by physicians in the context of:
a. legal precedents concerning physician-assisted suicide.
b. the physician's own moral attitudes towards euthanasia.
c. concern for suffering and the desires of the patient.
d. the patient's family and religious support structure.
2. According to "Doctor, I Want to Die," an appropriate initial
response for a physician to make when a patient requests help in
dying is to:
a. agree to help the patient with suicide.
b. explain that assisted suicide is illegal.
c. prescribe medication for depression.
he or she needs.
3. As noted in "Doctor, I Want to Die," it is hard to identify
clinical depression in terminal patients who are suffering,
because:
a. most such patients are very sad.
medication.
c. it is difficult for these patients to converse.
d. most psychiatrists have little experience with dying
patients.
4. As discussed in "Doctor, I Want to Die," most patients who are
dying:
a. request physician-assisted suicide.
b. want to maintain their physical and personal integrity.
c. want to live as long as is medically possible.
d. experience a spiritual crisis.
5. As noted in "Doctor, I Want to Die," comfort care can help
ensure a dignified, individualized death for most patients. T or F
6. According to Edmund Pellegrino's commentary to "Doctor, I Want
to Die," compassion must be constrained by principle. T or F
#22. THE SUPREME COURT AND PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE: THE ULTIMATE RIGHT, MARCIA ANGELL
1. As reported in "The Supreme Court and Physician-Assisted
Suicide--The Ultimate Right," currently the Supreme Court is:
a. leaving decisions regarding physician-assisted suicide
b. refusing to legally sanction physician-assisted suicide.
c. maintaining the right of patients and physicians to
d. preparing to issue a decision concerning the legality of
physician-assisted suicide.
2. "People do not need assistance to commit suicide. With enough
determination, they can do it themselves." According to "The
Supreme Court and Physician-Assisted Suicide--The Ultimate
Right," this is perhaps the cruelest of the arguments against
physician-assisted suicide, because:
a. many patients at the end of life are physically unable
b. it shifts the focus from the doctor to the patient.
c. it would hold suffering patients hostage to the
d. depression does not necessarily explain a patient's
3. In the case of assisted suicide, as noted in "The Supreme Court and Physician-Assisted Suicide--The Ultimate Right," the best protection against "sliding down a moral slippery slope" is:
a. its requirement of psychiatric treatment.
b. the patient must be terminally ill.
c. most doctors favor permitting it.
d. its voluntary nature.
4. In 1994, as cited in "The Supreme Court and Physician-Assisted
Suicide--The Ultimate Right," the first state to approve an
initiative that would legalize some form of physician-assisted
suicide was:
a. New York.
b. Oregon.
c. Massachusetts.
d. Michigan.
5. Euthanasia, as claimed in "The Supreme Court and
Physician-Assisted Suicide--The Ultimate Right," cannot be
performed without the patient's participation. T or F
6. Roughly two thirds of the American public, as reported in "The
Supreme Court and Physician-Assisted Suicide--The Ultimate
Right," now support physician-assisted suicide. T or F
#23. COMPETENT CARE FOR THE DYING INSTEAD OF PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED
SUICIDE, KATHLEEN M. FOLEY
1. One of the negative results of legalized physician-assisted
suicide, as presented in "Competent Care for the Dying Instead
of Physician-Assisted Suicide," is that:
a. less attention would be given to finding cures for
b. families could begin pressuring dying members to commit
suicide.
c. society would feel even less responsibility for caring
d. other reasons for suicide would become more acceptable
2. According to "Competent Care for the Dying Instead of
Physician-Assisted Suicide," the medical profession needs to
take the lead in developing guidelines for good care of dying
patients, because:
a. certain patients, particularly members of minority
b. the legalization of assisted suicide undermines the
c. suicide is the leading cause of death in the United
d. there are fundamental physician-related barriers to
appropriate, humane, and compassionate care for the
dying.
3. The desire to die, as noted in "Competent Care for the Dying
Instead of Physician-Assisted Suicide," is most closely
associated with the diagnosis of:
a. anxiety.
b. depression.
c. adjustment disorder.
d. delirium.
4. The most common symptom in dying patients, as identified in
"Competent Care for the Dying Instead of Physician-Assisted
Suicide," is:
a. pain.
b. dyspnea.
c. incontinence.
d. nausea.
5. The appeals courts' assertion of a constitutional right to
assisted suicide, as reported in "Competent Care for the Dying
Instead of Physician-Assisted Suicide," is narrowly restricted
to the terminally ill. T or F
6. Numerous surveys, as claimed in "Competent Care for the Dying
Instead of Physician-Assisted Suicide," demonstrate that only a
very small proportion of physicians support the legalization of
physician-assisted suicide. T or F
#24. A CONVERSATION WITH MY MOTHER, DAVID M. EDDY
1. David Eddy's mother, as explained in "A Conversation with My
Mother," wished to die:
a. only after all life-saving measures had been taken.
b. surrounded by her family at home.
c. with dignity in her own way.
d. long before she suffered from a serious illness.
2. As described in "A Conversation with My Mother," David Eddy's
mother viewed death as:
a. a tragedy to be postponed at any cost.
b. sad, but unavoidable.
c. a part of life, to be embraced at the proper time.
d. an end to be desperately sought, no matter the
3. According to "A Conversation with My Mother," physicians cannot legally prescribe medication that:
a. is addictive.
b. will cause death.
c. will hasten a patient's death even though it provides
comfort.
d. will result in mental confusion.
4. As discussed in "A Conversation with My Mother," Eddy's mother
died as a result of:
a. not eating or drinking.
b. cholelithiasis.
c. pneumonia.
d. a drug overdose.
5. According to "A Conversation with My Mother," Eddy's mother died after years of decline and lost vitality. T or F
6. As described in "A Conversation with My Mother," Eddy's
philosophy is that choosing the best way to end one's life
should be the ultimate individual right. T or F
#25. EUTHANASIA: TO CEASE UPON THE MIDNIGHT
1. Active euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, as presented
in "Euthanasia," are generally fraught with concerns over the:
a. ethical and moral implications of the procedure.
b. impact of the practice on other forms of suicide.
c. acceptance of the family of the patient's death.
d. most efficient means to use.
2. As discussed in "Euthanasia," ethically, pain relief:
a. should never be given in a way that exposes a patient to
b. must be limited if increased amounts will shorten a
c. is recognized as in overriding priority.
d. is a lower priority than either addiction or the
3. According to "Euthanasia," legally in the United States, doctors can provide patients with potentially lethal drugs:
a. when the drug has a legitimate medical purpose other
b. when the doctor is certain the patient is not suicidal.
c. even when the drug has no medical purpose and the
d. under no circumstances.
4. As noted in "Euthanasia," the country with the most liberal
regime for voluntary euthanasia is:
a. the United States.
b. the Netherlands (Holland).
c. Great Britain.
d. Japan.
5. According to "Euthanasia," opinion polls in many Western
countries have found little public support for allowing assisted
suicide. T or F
6. As noted in "Euthanasia," the right of a patient or his or her
surrogate to refuse treatment is well established. T or F
#26. ATTITUDES TOWARD SUICIDAL BEHAVIOR: A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE, ELLEN INGRAM AND JON B. ELLIS
1. The social acceptability of suicide, as reported in "Attitudes
Toward Suicidal Behavior," is:
a. generally agreed on by society, depending on the
circumstances.
b. never outwardly expressed.
c. more complicated that it at first seems.
d. often clear to the individual considering ending his or
2. The highest approval rate for suicide, according to "Attitudes
Toward Suicidal Behavior," was in the situation in which a
person:
a. faced bankruptcy.
b. had an incurable disease.
c. was tired of living.
d. suffered family dishonor.
3. Some cultures, as noted in "Attitudes Toward Suicidal Behavior," encouraged suicide among certain members of their society, usually for:
a. religious purposes.
b. social status.
c. honor.
d. economic considerations.
4. Those cultures that have viewed suicide in a positive light,
according to "Attitudes Toward Suicidal Behavior," include all
of the following except:
a. Indian.
b. Japanese.
c. Chinese.
d. ancient Thebes.
5. Suicidal behavior, as suggested in "Attitudes Toward Suicidal
Behavior," is now viewed as an illness. T or F
6. Public acceptance of both suicide and euthanasia, as claimed in "Attitudes Toward Suicidal Behavior," was highly conditional and limited to certain segments of the population. T or F
#27. THE CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN FUNERAL, MICHAEL R. LEMING AND GEORGE E. DICKINSON
1. As maintained in "The Contemporary American Funeral," decisions about the disposal of a body after death should be made by:
a. the medical establishment.
b. funeral homes and directors.
c. the religious community to which the person belonged.
d. the people closest to the deceased.
2. The psychological focus of a funeral, as described in "The
Contemporary American Funeral," is based on:
a. the fact that grief is an emotion.
b. cheering up the bereaved.
c. helping people to understand that they to will die
d. helping people make plans for the future.
3. Grief cannot be resolved, as presented in "The Contemporary
American Funeral," if the individual grieving:
a. feels anger towards the deceased.
b. does not have opportunities to discuss the death with
c. does not acknowledge the finality of death.
d. tries too quickly to fill with other relationships the
emotional space left by the deceased.
4. According to "The Contemporary American Funeral," within a
funeral setting, feelings of anger and guilt are:
a. inappropriate.
b. accepted as honest expressions of grief.
c. rarely encountered.
d. often used to distract emotional energy from grief.
5. In the United States, as specified in "The Contemporary American Funeral," final disposal of the deceased's body is most often by burial. T or F
6. In most instances, as noted in "The Contemporary American
Funeral," funeral services are open only to the people closest
to the deceased. T or F
#28. PSYCHOCULTURAL INFLUENCES ON AFRICAN-AMERICAN ATTITUDES TOWARDS DEATH, DYING, AND FUNERAL RITES, RONALD K. BARRETT
1. According to "Psychocultural Influences on African-American
Attitudes towards Death, Dying, and Funeral Rites,"
African-American funerals are most often notable for their:
a. casual informality.
b. almost lighthearted celebration of life.
c. rituals and dignified atmosphere.
d. lack of religious components.
2. As discussed in "Psychocultural Influences on African-American
Attitudes towards Death, Dying, and Funeral Rites," the
contemporary African-American response to death:
a. is based only on African tradition.
b. is the same as that of other Americans.
c. is based on African tradition yet is tempered by the
d. has little similarity to either African or American
tradition.
3. As noted in "Psychocultural Influences on African-American
Attitudes towards Death, Dying, and Funeral Rites," in Africa,
any relative who fails to attend a family member's funeral:
a. is disowned by the family.
b. is cast out of the community.
c. must pay for the funeral.
d. is suspected of having bewitched the deceased.
4. According to "Psychocultural Influences on African-American
Attitudes towards Death, Dying, and Funeral Rites," embalming
became increasingly a conventional American custom after:
a. the Revolutionary War.
b. the Civil War.
c. World War I.
d. the civil-rights movement.
5. According to "Psychocultural Influences on African-American
Attitudes towards Death, Dying, and Funeral Rites," Africans
regard it as impolite to state bluntly that someone is dead. T or F
6. As noted in "Psychocultural Influences on African-American
Attitudes towards Death, Dying, and Funeral Rites," African
Americans express a low acceptance of life and death. T or F
#29. HOW DIFFERENT RELIGIONS PAY THEIR FINAL RESPECTS,
WILLIAM J. WHALEN
1. As described in "How Different Religions Pay Their Final
Respects," most elements of contemporary burials are
characterized by:
a. sacred rituals.
b. respect for the individuality of the deceased.
c. fear of the afterlife.
d. concerns for future generations of the community.
2. The religious affiliation that has no set funeral rite, because its founder denied the reality of death, according to "How Different Religions Pay Their Final Respects," is:
a. Freemason.
b. Unitarian-Universalist.
c. Christian Scientist.
d. Mormon.
3. Of the following, the religious affiliation that forbids
cremation, as noted in "How Different Religions Pay Their Final
Respects," is:
a. Muslim.
b. Hindu.
c. Buddhist.
d. Catholic.
4. The religious affiliation that has some of the most detailed
funeral rites of any religion, according to "How Different
Religions Pay Their Final Respects," is:
a. Mormon.
b. Lutheran.
c. Baha'i.
d. Orthodox Judaism.
5. The sacrament of Extreme Unction, according to "How Different
Religions Pay Their Final Respects," is restricted to those in
imminent danger of death. T or F
6. Most Protestant denominations, as noted in "How Different
Religions Pay Their Final Respects," incorporate a communion
service into their funeral liturgies. T or F
#30. BURYING THE UNGRATEFUL DEAD, THOMAS LYNCH
1. One notable similarity among the recently deceased, as
maintained in "Burying the Ungrateful Dead," is that the person:
a. has generally made no preparations for death or the
b. is often missed by far more people than expected.
c. expressed carefully detailed wishes about his or her
d. no longer cares what happens to him or her.
2. According to "Burying the Ungrateful Dead," final arrangements
should be planned by any of the following except:
a. strangers.
b. the spouse.
c. the children.
d. other survivors.
3. As noted in "Burying the Ungrateful Dead," deaths seem to occur:
a. primarily in the early morning.
b. primarily during a full moon.
c. more frequently in the winter.
d. without regard to the clock, calendar, moon, or stars.
4. As noted in "Burying the Ungrateful Dead," relatives of the
deceased usually decide funeral arrangements. T or F
5. According to "Burying the Ungrateful Dead," the reason why
undertakers are in business is that the living care. T or F
#31. WE CAN HELP CHILDREN GRIEVE: A CHILD-ORIENTED MODEL FOR
MEMORIALIZING, LINDA ELLEN GOLDMAN
1. In order to help people to cope with the shock of Andrew's
sudden death, as described in "We Can Help Children Grieve," his
parents decided to:
a. delay any memorial service for at least six months.
b. encourage parents and their children to seek grief
counseling.
c. create a child-oriented memorial service for him.
d. ask adults not to bring their children to the funeral.
2. As explained in "We Can Help Children Grieve," Andrew died from:
a. a life-long cancer.
b. a sudden illness.
c. complications from surgery.
d. an accidental fall.
3. After Andrew's memorial service, as presented in "We Can Help
Children Grieve," the children who attended were invited to:
a. return to Andrew's home for a party.
b. speak with counselors.
c. visit Andrew's grave.
d. create commemorations of Andrew.
4. As maintained in "We Can Help Children Grieve," honoring
Andrew's life helped the children who attended his memorial
service to:
a. value their own lives.
b. face their fears of death.
c. understand that Andrew was truly dead and would not be
back.
d. comfort the adults around them.
5. Part of the reason Andrew's parents decided to create a
child-oriented memorial service for their son, as maintained in
"We Can Help Children Grieve," was to celebrate his life. T or F
6. As described in "We Can Help Children Grieve," at Andrew's
memorial service, the children were seated together up front
while the parents and other adults were in chairs at the back of
the room. T or F
#32. A DO-IT-YOURSELF FUNERAL, CYNTHIA FOX
1. Many people do not realize, as stated in "A Do-It-Yourself
Funeral," that in most states it is:
a. illegal to dispose of the dead without a funeral
c. fairly easy for them to buy a coffin.
d. impossible to obtain a valid death certificate for
2. As reported in "A Do-It-Yourself Funeral," Clyde Spivey was
dying from:
a. heart disease.
b. diabetes.
c. lung cancer.
d. pancreatic cancer.
3. According to "A Do-It-Yourself Funeral," Clyde Spivey and his
family encountered all of the following reactions to their
decision to perform a home funeral except:
a. neighbors believed they were not dealing with the death
appropriately.
b. the cemetery personnel told them that the burial
c. their religious advisor thought the practice was
d. the local paper was unwilling to run the obituary if
4. Clyde Spivey's children, as explained in "A Do-It-Yourself
Funeral," at first reacted to his decision to have a home
funeral with:
a. skepticism.
b. fear.
c. revulsion.
d. enthusiasm.
5. The decision to have a home funeral for the Spiveys, as
maintained in "A Do-It-Yourself Funeral," first arose when they
learned that Clyde was suffering from a terminal illness. T or F
6. As described in "A Do-It-Yourself Funeral," in spite of his
wife's fears, Clyde's morphine regimen increased as he was
nearing death. T or F
#33. A TIME TO MOURN, PAT ANDRUS
1. People bereaved by a death, as stated in "A Time to Mourn,"
generally feel intense grief and depression:
a. only for the first few weeks.
b. long after the loved one has died.
c. for the rest of their lives.
d. until they find a new relationship that will fill the
2. According to "A Time to Mourn," it is suggested that people
allow themselves plenty of time to heal after the death of a
loved one because:
a. the most difficult time can come long after the funeral
b. the funeral industry is dedicated to helping people in
c. there is little therapeutic intervention for grieving
d. it depends on the bereaved's relationship to the
3. The Martin and Castille Funeral Home, as noted in "A Time to
Mourn," publishes a "Directory of Support Services for the
Bereaved" as a joint project with a local:
a. school.
b. counseling clinic.
c. hospital.
d. library.
4. The best form of advertising, as identified in "A Time to
Mourn," is:
a. newsletters.
b. word-of-mouth.
c. television.
d. radio.
5. Having a crisis in faith, as suggested in "A Time to Mourn," is not unusual in grief. T or F
6. Families, as claimed in "A Time to Mourn," often return to the
Mourning After Program near anniversary times. T or F