A male patient who says that his parents died of heart disease early in life is waiting for diagnostic testing results. He is biting his nails and pacing around the room. Which statement should the nurse use to clarify patient information?
a. "I can see that you are anxious about dy-ing.".
b. "Tell me more about your family's histo-ry.".
c. "Do you have your parents' medical records?"
d. "I'm not sure that I understand what you mean.".
B
Asking for more information about the family's history directs the patient to expand on a specific, pertinent topic and relate key details before moving to another topic. "Early in life" and "heart disease" need to be defined by the patient; "early in life" can indicate a wide range of ages, de-pending on the definition of "early," and "heart disease" can mean conditions such as heart fail-ure, coronary artery disease, valve disease, and arrhythmias. Until the patient discusses his par-ticular concerns, the nurse cannot be sure about the source of his anxiety. Asking for the records can display a lack of respect by implying that the patient is an unreliable source for information. Stating that the nurse is not sure what the patient means is vague, leaving the patient to guess what the nurse wants to know.
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