A 38-year-old patient has returned home following rehabilitation for a spinal cord injury. The home care nurse notes that the spouse is performing many of the activities that the patient had been managing unassisted during rehabilitation
The most appropriate action by the nurse at this time is to
a. remind the patient about the importance of independence in daily activities.
b. tell the spouse to stop because the patient is able to perform activities independently.
c. develop a plan to increase the patient's independence in consultation with the patient and the spouse.
d. recognize that it is important for the spouse to be involved in the patient's care and encourage that participation.
ANS: C
The best action by the nurse will be to involve all the parties in developing an optimal plan of care. Because family members who will be assisting with the patient's ongoing care need to feel that their input is important, telling the spouse that the patient can perform activities independently is not the best choice. Reminding the patient about the importance of independence may not change the behaviors of the spouse. Supporting the activities of the spouse will lead to ongoing dependency by the patient.
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