Palliative Care Certification Exam

Welcome to your Palliative Care Certification Exam

Do Not Use Fullstops in your Fill in answers.

You will get a certificate after the Exam, Remember to use your FULL NAME.

January 7, 2026

Attempt All Questions

Time Allowed: 2 hours

1. What is the primary focus of palliative care?

a) End-of-life care

b) Increasing life expectancy

c) Improving quality of life for serious illness

d) Providing curative treatments

2. When is it usually considered appropriate to provide palliative care?

a) Only in the final stages of an illness

b) Only for elderly patients

c) At any age and at any stage of a serious illness

d) Only for cancer patients

3. What is the definition of bereavement?

a) The emotional response to loss

b) The state of having lost something or someone

c) The period of mourning

d) The process of grieving

4. Which of the following factors can influence the way a person grieves?

a) The presence of strong support systems

b) The age of the bereaved

c) The gender of the person who passed away

d) All of the above

5. What does the holistic care approach in palliative care entail?

a) Focusing solely on physical symptoms

b) Providing spiritual care only

c) Treating patients as a whole, addressing physical, psychological, social, and spiritual needs

d) Prioritizing emotional support

6. What is the primary advantage of facility-based palliative care?

a) Reduced travel time for patients

b) Greater community involvement

c) Immediate access to healthcare professionals and specialized equipment

d) Enhanced socialization

7. What is the term for grief that is not fully acknowledged or recognized by society, leading to a more complicated grieving process?

a) Cumulative grief

b) Maladaptive grief

c) Disenfranchised grief

d) Masked grief

8. What is the primary purpose of monitoring the respiratory rate in patients receiving morphine?

a. To measure the patient's oxygen saturation

b. To detect opioid addiction

c. To identify urinary retention

d. To assess for severe respiratory depression

9. What does the term "euthanasia" mean?

a) A happy and peaceful death

b) The practice of ending a person's life intentionally

c) Medical treatment to extend life

d) Pain management during the dying process

10. Which type of communication involves the exchange of ideas through spoken expression in words?

a) Verbal communication

b) Non-verbal communication

c) Closed-ended communication

d) Reflective communication

11. What does the "ROLES" acronym stand for in relation to body language indicating active listening?

a) Relaxed, Open, Lean, Empathetic, Summarized

b) Respected, Organized, Limited, Encouraging, Structured

c) Relaxed, Open, Lean, Eye contact, Sit near

d) Reflective, Optimistic, Linguistic, Energetic, Supportive

12. What is the concept of the "slippery slope" in euthanasia ethics?

a) A gradual decline in the quality of palliative care

b) Fear that legalizing euthanasia for specific cases may lead to broader acceptance

c) The likelihood of involuntary euthanasia

d) A slippery surface in healthcare facilities

13. What can be a psychological impact of euthanasia on healthcare professionals?

a) Increased job satisfaction

b) Emotional distress, guilt, or trauma

c) Strong sense of accomplishment

d) Elevation in salary

14. What technique involves warning, pausing, checking, and chunking when addressing difficult questions with children?

a) Tactful questioning

b) WPC Chunk Technique

c) Closed-ended questioning

d) Non-verbal communication

15. What is the most common and feared symptom among those nearing the end of life?

a) Nausea and vomiting

b) Fatigue

c) Pain

d) Depression

16. What is Near Death Awareness (NDA)?

a. A term used to describe a person's experiences of the dying process.

b. A type of medical treatment for the terminally ill.

c. A psychological disorder associated with the fear of death.

d. A form of assisted suicide.

17. Which type of pain involves damage to the peripheral nerves and is often described as burning, shooting, or electrical-like sensations?

a) Somatic pain

b) Central pain

c) Neuropathic pain

d) Visceral pain

18. What is the primary purpose of a living will?

A) To distribute the deceased's property

B) To appoint guardians for minor children

C) To outline medical treatment preferences

D) To name an executor

19. Which type of pain involves pain originating from organs and is often described as crampy, nagging, or dull?

a) Visceral pain

b) Somatic pain

c) Central pain

d) Peripheral pain

20. Which of the following is NOT one of the dimensions of total pain?

a) Physical

b) Psychological

c) Social

d) Medical

21. What does the FLACC Pain Scale assess primarily?

a) Self-reported pain intensity

b) Pain location on a body chart

c) Pain-related behaviors in non-communicative individuals

d) Pain duration and changes over time

22. What is the first step in the WHO Analgesic Ladder for pain management?

a. Strong opioids

b. Weak opioids

c. Non-opioids

d. Adjuvant medications

23. Which principle of effective pain management emphasizes administering analgesics at regular intervals and titrating the dose against pain?

a. By the mouth

b. By the clock

c. By the ladder

d. By the patient

24. What is the primary purpose of breaking bad news to a patient?

a) To provide false hope

b) To avoid informing the patient about their condition

c) To reduce uncertainty and help the patient make informed decisions

d) To maintain trust

25. What is the maximum daily dose of paracetamol recommended for adults?

a. 1 gram

b. 2 grams

c. 3 grams

d. 4 grams

26. Which pharmacological agent is primarily used to manage bone pain in palliative care?

a. Gabapentin

b. Morphine

c. Bisphosphonates

d. Codeine

27. What should be done with expired or rejected class A drugs like morphine?

a. They should be sold to patients at a discount.

b. They should be disposed of following WHO guidelines.

c. They can be used for educational purposes.

d. They should be given to other healthcare providers.

28. What is breakthrough pain in the relation of pain management?

A) A pain intensity level below the patient's tolerance threshold.

B) A sudden, severe flare-up of pain that occurs despite ongoing pain management.

C) Pain that can be relieved with over-the-counter pain relievers.

D) Chronic pain that gradually worsens over time.

29. What is the purpose of a breakthrough dose in pain management?

A) To replace the patient's regular pain medication.

B) To serve as the primary pain relief method.

C) To provide extra pain relief during episodes of sudden, severe pain.

D) To reduce the need for any pain medication.

30. Free mark? Okay, but do you know Cumulative grief?

Yes, Grief related to multiple losses

I think yes! Cumulative is like cumulative curve, up up up!