A community health nurse is about to make the first home visit to a family based on a referral from the hospital where the high-risk infant was born to an adolescent mother about 6 days ago. The nurse plans to assess the family and home environment and provide anticipatory guidance. On arrival, the mother sleepily answers the door after the nurse rings the bell and knocks several times. The mother lets the nurse in but is not happy to see the nurse. She gets the infant and places him in the nurse's arms, then sits across the room and turns on the TV. Which response by the nurse would be most appropriate?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

It is always best to acknowledge a client's feelings, and from the scenario, observations, and referral information, being fatigued 6 days after having a baby is very possible. The option about holding the baby is not the best way to respond to the mother or the first comment to make, but holding the baby gives the nurse an opportunity to role model infant interaction and caring and assess his or her cleanliness and clothing appropriateness. However, the nurse may want to say that he or she would like to wash his or her hands before holding the baby. This gives the nurse an additional opportunity to teach and assess another room when washing hands. Asking to turn off the TV might be appropriate after a few moments of introductory conversation. It would be best to ask the mother to turn the TV down because of difficulty hearing her. The nurse will win the mother's favor with this approach better than by asking her to turn off the TV. Asking how she feels being a mother at 17 might be information to gather, but asking it directly as a first comment sounds like a put-down. There are better ways to obtain this information a bit later in the visit.

A Community Health Nurse Is About to Make the First