A patient visiting with family members in the waiting area tells the nurse "I don't feel good, especially in the stomach." What should the nurse do?
a. Request that the family leave, so the patient can rest.
b. Ask the patient to return to the room, so the nurse can inspect the abdomen.
c. Ask the patient when the last bowel movement was and to lie down on the sofa.
d. Tell the patient that the dinner tray will be ready in 15 minutes and that may help the stomach feel better.
ANS: B
In this case, the environment needs to be conducive to completing a thorough assessment. A patient's care environment needs to be safe and conducive to implementing therapies. When you need to expose a patient's body parts, do so privately by closing room doors or curtains because the patient will then be more relaxed; the patient needs to return to the room for an abdominal assessment for privacy and comfort. The family can remain in the waiting area while the nurse assists the patient back to the room. Beginning the assessment in the waiting area (lie down on the sofa) in the presence of family and other visitors does not promote privacy and patient comfort. Telling the patient that the dinner tray is almost ready is making an assumption that the abdominal discomfort is due to not eating. The nurse needs to perform an assessment first.
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