A patient fearful of anesthesia asks the nurse to make sure that she wakes up after surgery just so she can see her family one more time if she is going to die. Which of the following should the nurse do to support this patient?

Question

1. Attempt to reduce the patient's fears and discuss these fears with the surgical team.
2. Explain that everyone who undergoes anesthesia thinks they won't wake up.
3. Tell the patient that no one is going to let her die.
4. Tell the patient that there is no guarantee that she won't die during the procedure.

Answer 1

Attempt to reduce the patient's fears and discuss these fears with the surgical team.

Rationale: The patient is fearful that the anesthesia will cause her to die. The nurse should try to reduce the patient's fears but also communicate them to the surgical team. The anesthesiologist might be able to provide medication to help reduce the patient's anxiety. The nurse should not minimize the patient's fears by saying that everyone who undergoes anesthesia thinks they won't wake up. The nurse should not promise the patient that she isn't going to die. The nurse should also not compound the patient's fears by saying that there is no guarantee that she won't die during the procedure.