The spouse of a patient admitted with a gunshot wound asks the nurse when her husband will be discharged so that they can resume their life together. How should the nurse respond?

Question

1. "Right now there is no way of knowing how soon your husband can return to his previous life."
2. "I would say in a few weeks."
3. "Probably never."
4. "As soon as the wound heals, your husband can return to work."

Answer 1

Correct Answer: 1

Nurses provide a vital link in both the physical and psychosocial care to the injured patient and family. In caring for the patient who has experienced trauma, nurses must consider not only the initial physical injury, but also its long-term consequences, including rehabilitation. Trauma may alter the patient's previous way of life, potentially affecting independence, mobility, cognitive thinking, and appearance. The nurse should respond that there is no way of knowing how soon the patient can return to his previous life. The nurse should not put a time limit of a few weeks on the patient's recovery from trauma or tell the spouse that the patient will probably never return to his previous life. The nurse has no way of knowing the extent of the damage caused by the gunshot wound and cannot predict when the patient can return to work.