The nurse is seeing a client with a dual diagnosis of fibromyalgia and depression. The client tells the nurse about experiencing increased stress due the demands at work. Which question should the nurse ask first?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The nurse has an important role in the helping the client manage chronic pain. Listening and acknowledging the pain is important because others may ignore or invalidate the impact of the pain. The nurse can help the client identify circumstances when the pain was diminished and use this information to develop strategies. In this scenario, the question the nurse should be asking first is regarding the client's history of stress management. The nurse should help the client identify what has been helpful in managing stress at work and, therefore, increased pain and anxiety. Identifying what was effective in the past can help plan care for the client this time. Although the questions in the alternate responses may be appropriate to ask, a strength-based approach should be taken first to help the client build self-efficacy.

The Nurse Is Seeing a Client with a Dual Diagnosis