The nurse is caring for a patient who has sustained a deep partial-thickness burn injury. In prioritizing the nursing diagnoses for the plan of care, the nurse will give the highest priority to what nursing diagnosis?
A) Activity intolerance
B) Anxiety
C) Impaired nutrition: less than body requirements
D) Acute pain
Ans: D
Feedback: Pain is inevitable during recovery from any burn injury. Pain in the burn patient has been described as one of the most severe causes of acute pain. Management of the often-severe pain is one of the most difficult challenges facing the burn team. While the other nursing diagnoses listed are valid diagnoses, the presence of pain may contribute to these diagnoses and management of the patient's pain is priority as it may have a direct correlation to these nursing diagnoses.
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