A 30-year-old male patient who has been experiencing joint pain for several months is diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.He tells the nurse,"This can't be happening to me.I don't understand this." Which statement below best describes the nurse's primary understanding of the patient statements?

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Developmental stage influences a person's ability to cope with stressors that tend to move him toward the illness end of the health-illness continuum.For example,infants or children who are ill,frightened,or hurt have a limited repertoire of experiences,communication ability,and understanding to help them in their responses.Age is not the determining factor in one's ability to cope,but developmental stage is.The man at age 30 may not accept his illness at this time because he is not developmentally ready but we do not know this because he has just been informed of the diagnosis.His statements do not provide enough information to infer that he is in denial or that he does not accept his illness.

A 30-Year-Old Male Patient Who Has Been Experiencing Joint Pain