After being hit by an automobile, a patient tells the nurse that he lay on the pavement until the ambulance arrived and was thinking about how his wife would continue to survive without him

Question

Which of the following is the best action by the nurse to help this patient with the crisis? 1. Offer to contact his wife to explain where he is and what his condition is.
2. Provide the patient with a telephone so he can contact his wife.
3. Tell the patient that once his injuries are stabilized, someone will contact his wife.
4. Suggest that the patient should not worry about anything.

Answer 1

Offer to contact his wife to explain where he is and what his condition is.

Rationale: The patient was a victim of a pedestrian-automobile accident and is concerned about his wife. At the onset of a crisis, the nurse might have to intervene and do some things for the patient that, under different circumstances, the patient could do for himself. While the nurse could provide the patient with a phone for him to call his wife, he may not be in a condition to make the call, and will not be able to provide factual answers to the wife about his condition. The nurse should not make the patient wait to contact his wife by telling him that once he is stabilized, someone will call her. Telling the patient not to worry is dismissive of his concerns.