A 52-year-old woman has just been told she has breast cancer and is scheduled for a modified mastectomy the following week
As the nurse caring for this patient you know that she is anxious and fearful about the upcoming procedure and the newly diagnosed malignancy. What can you do to best help alleviate this patient's fears?
A) Provide written material on the procedure that has been scheduled for the patient.
B) Provide the patient with realistic information and expectations about the healing process and expected recovery.
C) Give the patient current information on breast cancer survival rates.
D) Offer the patient alternative treatment options.
Ans: B
Feedback: Providing the patient with realistic expectations about the healing process and expected recovery can help alleviate fears. Offering the patient alternative treatment options is not within your scope of practice. Options A and C may be beneficial for the patient but they are not the best option for alleviating the patients fears, and option C should only be addressed if the patient asks for the information.
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