The nurse is caring for a patient with known coronary artery disease who has recently been diagnosed with lung cancer. What should the nurse do?
a. Focus the assessment solely on the cancer diagnosis since it is the newer diagnosis.
b. Ask questions about cardiac symptoms and their relationship to the cancer.
c. Ignore symptom management and focus on palliative care.
d. Say nothing because cancer survivors dislike prying.
ANS: B
The nurse needs to consider not only the effects of cancer and its treatment but also how it will affect any other medical condition. For example, if a patient also has heart disease, how will the fatigue related to chemotherapy affect this individual? The nurse must focus on both, not just the cancer diagnosis. Nurses do not ignore symptom management; given the symptoms that a patient identifies, the nurse will explore each one to gain a complete picture of the patient's health status. Saying nothing is inappropriate; patients will appreciate the nurse's sensitivity and interest in their well-being.
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