Lorna has metastatic ovarian cancer, and is in her final days of life. Throughout her hospice benefit period she has rated her pain as 8 or 9 out of 10 consistently, and has required increasing doses of pain medication to be comfortable. In the last 24 hours she has become non-verbal. Her son is concerned that she will not be able to communicate her suffering to him. What would be the most appropriate educational point to make to her son?

The Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse certification exam is a 3 hour exam covering 150 multiple choice questions. It focuses on five domain practice areas: Life-limiting Conditions in Adult Patients, Pain Management, Symptom Management, Patient and Family Care and Practical Issues.