The nurse is caring for a patient who had a left mastectomy earlier in the day and informs the nurse of the following concerns. Which should the nurse attend to first?
a. Her bowels have not moved in 48 hours.
b. She has a pain level of 7 on a 0 to 10 scale.
c. She has a 3-cm area of blood on her wound dressing.
d. She feels anxious about how her husband will react to her surgery.
ANS: B
Pain, constipation, and bleeding are all physiological needs, which take priority over psychosocial needs (anxiety) on Maslow's hierarchy. Because 3 cm of blood is not urgent, and a few more minutes of constipation will not make a difference in the outcome, the pain should be treated first.
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