The patient's family has had many surgical experiences with complications. What information is most important for the nurse to use to understand the patient's stress in the perioperative period?
a. Ask the patient if medications will calm him or her before surgery.
b. Identify specific concerns regarding the surgical experience.
c. Explain to the patient that stress is easily identified and managed.
d. Tell the patient that stress is unrelated to environmental factors.
B
The patient's perception of the perioperative experience creates a point of reference for evalua-tion of the situation. Asking about fears, cultural practices, and religious beliefs allows the nurse to anticipate the patient's and family caregiver's priorities and adapt the plan to give appropriate instruction and support. The nurse should get more information so potential concerns can be identified. Anxiolytics can relieve stress quickly by sedating the patient but do nothing to resolve the patient's stressor. Stressors can be difficult to identify and are usually more difficult to man-age. Stress can develop from hereditary and environmental factors.
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