The nurse is about to educate a 75-year-old patient on the side effects of a newly prescribed medication. The patient is both hearing and vision impaired. What should be the nurse's primary intervention?

Question

1. Be sure that the patient has glasses on and functioning hearing aids during the discussion.
2. Arrange for the patient's room to be well lighted and quiet during the teaching session.
3. Provide a written explanation to supplement the discussion.
4. Ask that a family member be present during the teaching session.

Answer 1

1
Rationale 1: For the patient to be best prepared to respond to the instructions, the sensory deficiencies must be first addressed; making sure the assistive devices are properly in place and working is the initial intervention.
Rationale 2: The patient's room should be well lighted, but this is not the nurse's primary intervention.
Rationale 3: Providing written information is important, but it is not the nurse's primary intervention.
Rationale 4: It may be important for a family member to be present. This will be determined by the patient's condition. This is not the primary nursing intervention.