A nurse is seeing a patient who complains of knee pain. Her youngest child just left for college in another state. The previous day, the patient's pipes burst and the basement flooded. During the interview, the patient can't stop crying. What might the nurse consider?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

1. In caring for adult patients, it often is useful to think of the cumulative and clustering effects of anxiety. When clustered together, otherwise manageable stressors may result in feeling a loss of control or overwhelming anxiety. Addressing the patient's coping skills may be more useful than suggesting medications. Given that the patient has already reported several new sources of stress, she made need emotional support if referred for knee surgery.

A Nurse Is Seeing a Patient Who Complains of Knee