A patient with stage II breast cancer tells the nurse, "I need to decide about what type of surgery to have, but I feel so overwhelmed that I cannot make any decisions yet! What do you think I should do?" Which response by the nurse is best?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This response indicates the nurse's willingness to assist the patient with the decision-making process without imposing the nurse's values or opinions. Response B indicates that the nurse is not willing to help the patient with the decision about treatment. Because treatment decisions for breast cancer do need to be made relatively quickly, response C is not accurate. Since the nurse's values and situation are not the same as the patient's, imposing the nurse's opinions during this emotionally vulnerable time is not appropriate.

A Patient with Stage II Breast Cancer Tells the Nurse