The patient that will cause the greatest communication concerns for a nurse is the patient who is

Question

a. Alert, has strong self-esteem, and is hungry.
b. Oriented, pain free, and blind.
c. Cooperative, depressed, and hard of hearing.
d. Dyspneic, has a tracheostomy, and is anxious.

Answer 1

ANS: D
Facial trauma, laryngeal cancer, or endotracheal intubation often prevents movement of air past vocal cords or mobility of the tongue, resulting in inability to articulate words. An extremely breathless person needs to use oxygen to breathe rather than speak. Persons with high anxiety are sometimes unable to perceive environmental stimuli or hear explanations. People who are alert, have strong self-esteem, and are cooperative and pain free do not cause communication concerns. Although hunger, blindness, and difficulty hearing can cause communication concerns, dyspnea, a tracheostomy, and anxiety all contribute to communication concerns.