A patient presents with complaints of intermittent chest pain. The nurse assesses that the patient holds a high-stress job and is a Type A personality. How can the nurse best explain the importance of reducing cardiac risk factors?
1. "Some stress is healthy for the heart. If constant chest pain develops, you need to have it investigated.".
2. "Stress is an everyday occurrence and should be managed by resting frequently.".
3. "Type A personalities tend to seek out higher-stress jobs. Maybe you should seek different employment.".
4. "The exposure to chronic stress increases the workload for the heart. Managing stress in a healthy manner will help decrease the risk factors for cardiovascular disease.".
4
Rationale 1: Intermittent chest pain can be an early indication of upcoming problems and should be investigated. Delay could be detrimental.
Rationale 2: Stress is a common occurrence, but resting is not the best advice for this patient.
Rationale 3: Type A personalities may tend to seek out higher-stress jobs, but instead of advising the patient to change jobs, a better suggestion would be to employ stress-reduction techniques.
Rationale 4: Current and previous job stresses can contribute to an increased risk for cardiovascular disease by increasing the workload on the heart. Stress is unavoidable, so the patient should find healthy ways to manage stress.
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