A patient has recently received a diagnosis of gastric cancer; the nurse is aware of the importance of assessing the patient's level of anxiety. Which of the following actions is most likely to accomplish this?
A) The nurse gauges the patient's response to hypothetical outcomes.
B) The patient is encouraged to express fears openly.
C) The nurse provides detailed and accurate information about the disease.
D) The nurse closely observes the patient's body language.
Ans: B
Feedback:
Encouraging the patient to discuss his or her fears and anxieties is usually the best way to assess a patient's anxiety. Presenting hypothetical situations is a surreptitious and possibly inaccurate way of assessing anxiety. Observing body language is part of assessment, but it is not the complete assessment. Presenting information may alleviate anxiety for some patients, but it is not an assessment.
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