Final answer:
The nurse should encourage the parent to discuss past coping strategies as a means to handle their current stress and offer support, mirroring the support that hospice care provides to both the patient and their family by reducing care burden and enhancing emotional coping abilities.
Step-by-step explanation:
The nurse should acknowledge the parent's stress and provide supportive strategies to help them cope with the situation. The best response is option D: "Let's talk about some of the ways you have handled previous stressors in your life." This opens a dialogue for the parent to explore coping mechanisms that have worked for them in the past, which can be applied to the current situation. It also provides an opportunity for the nurse to offer additional support and resources that can assist the parent in coping with their child's terminal illness.
Research supports the notion that hospice care not only benefits the patient by allowing them to remain at home and receive specialized, compassionate care, but also the family by reducing of care burden and emotional distress. Family members receive emotional support and cope better while receiving hospice services, as indicated by studies on the impact of hospice care on families. Involving the family in the care and decision-making process can enhance their sense of support and their ability to cope with the stress of a terminally ill loved one.