A patient and his family are excited that he is transferring from the critical care unit to the intermediate care unit. However, they are also fearful of the change in environment and nursing staff

Question

To reduce relocation stress, the nurse can: (Select all that apply.) a. ask the nurses on the intermediate care unit to give the family a tour of the new unit.
b. contact the intensivist to see if the patient can stay one additional day in the critical care unit so that he and his family can adjust better to the idea of a transfer.
c. ensure that the patient will be located near the nurse's station in the new unit.
d. invite the nurse who will be assuming the patient's care to meet with the patient and family in the critical care unit prior to transfer.

Answer 1

A, D
Patients often have stress when they are moved from the safety of the critical care unit. Introducing the patient and his family to the nurse who will assume care and to the new environment are strategies to reduce relocation stress. Although the patient and his family may feel safer in a room near the nurse's station, bed placement is determined by a variety of factors and cannot be guaranteed. Beds in the critical care unit are at a premium, and once the physician has determined that the patient no longer meets critical care admission requirements, it is essential that transfers be made once a bed on the intermediate care unit is available.