A 52-year-old woman with metastatic pancreatic cancer is on a rehabilitation unit for deconditioning after a recent hospitalization. She has a signed DNR order. While the LPN assists her with walker practice, the client says, "My faith teaches that death is a passage, not an ending, and I want my chosen family, not my estranged biological siblings, at my bedside when the time comes." She adds that she usually copes by talking with close friends, but two of them have stopped visiting since her diagnosis, leaving her feeling more alone. She becomes tearful. What is the most basic principle the LPN should follow when responding to this client's statement?
- Assume her biological siblings should be present since families of faith usually gather at the end of life
- Leave her emotional support entirely to her friends since that has been her usual coping pattern
- Reassure her that everything will work out fine once rehabilitation is finished
- Honor the client's self-reported wishes about faith, support people, and comfort