The nurse is caring for a postoperative patient on his first day after surgery. The nurse informs the patient that the plan is to sit in the chair and ambulate in the hallway. The patient states that he is in pain and he has no intention of getting out of
bed. What is the nurse's best response?
a.
"It's important to move around so you don't get a blood clot in your leg."
b.
"Your doctor ordered that you are to get out of bed at least twice every day."
c.
"I understand. You can rest in bed until tomorrow when the pain is better."
d.
"I will call the doctor and let him know that you do not want to get up."
ANS: A
The nurse should teach the patient why it is important to ambulate after surgery to prevent postoperative deep vein thrombosis (DVT) formation. Simply telling the patient that the physician ordered ambulation is not sufficient. Allowing the patient to stay in bed will increase the risk of DVT.
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