A patient is admitted to the unit in respiratory distress secondary to pneumonia. The nurse knows that obtaining a history is very important. What is the appropriate intervention at this time for obtaining this data?
a. Collect an overview of past medical history, present history, and current health status.
b. Do not obtain any history at this time.
c. Curtail the history to just a few questions about the client's chief complaint and precipitating events.
d. Complete the history and then provide measures to assist the client to breathe easier.
C
The initial presentation of the client determines the rapidity and direction for the interview. For a client in acute distress, the history should be curtailed to just a few questions about the client's chief complaint and the precipitating events.
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