The nursing student has been assigned to help feed patients at lunch time. Which of these nursing interventions would be most effective when assisting a blind patient to eat a meal?

Question

a. Speak loudly to ensure that the patient understands.
b. Describe the food arrangement using the numbers on a clock.
c. Tell the patient what is on the plate, assuming he has lost the sense of smell.
d. Encourage the patient to eat faster so that the task will be done.

Answer 1

ANS: B
An important factor to remember when caring for visually impaired or blind patients is that they are rarely hearing impaired. Typically, blind patients have heightened auditory and olfactory senses. Communication with blind patients can be characterized as anticipatory in nature, meaning that the nurse should alert visually impaired patients of potential hazards or object locations to provide necessary information and safe care. For example, the nurse may inform the visually impaired patient that the meat entrée is in the 6 o'clock position and the coffee cup is at 2 o'clock on the tray. This system may be helpful in orienting blind patients to their hospital rooms. For example, from the vantage point of lying in bed, the bathroom may be at the 10 o'clock position and the phone at 5 o'clock on the bedside cabinet. Communication with sensory-impaired patients requires patience, creativity, and adaptation to ensure that patient needs are met.