The nurse is providing care for a patient receiving curative care who is experiencing chronic pain due to cancer. Which type of care should the nurse plan for upon discharge for this patient?

• A. Hospice care
• B. Home health care
• C. Palliative care
• D. Rehabilitative care

Answer: (C)

The important idea here is providing symptom relief and quality of life while continuing disease-directed treatment. Palliative care is tailored to relieve pain and other distressing symptoms, support the patient and family, and coordinate care, and it can be started at any stage of illness and alongside curative or disease-modifying therapy. For a patient with cancer experiencing chronic pain who is still receiving curative care, planning discharge with a palliative approach ensures ongoing symptom control and psychosocial support.

Hospice care, by contrast, is reserved for those who choose to discontinue curative treatment and are typically nearing end of life; the scenario specifies continued curative care, so hospice isn’t the best fit. Rehabilitative care focuses primarily on restoring function and independence rather than ongoing symptom relief for a serious illness, which isn’t the primary goal here. Home health care describes services at home and can be part of a palliative plan, but the overarching approach that centers on relieving pain and improving quality of life in the setting of serious illness is palliative care.