The nurse would include which activities when planning care to increase comfort for the intubated patient? Note: Credit will be given only if all correct choices and no incorrect choices are selected. Select all that apply

Question

1. Speak directly to the patient by looking into the patient's eyes.
2. Keep the patient sedated and let the patient sleep when giving care.
3. Give additional pain medication whenever restlessness is noted.
4. Establish a communication method that does not require talking.
5. Keep the family at the bedside to interpret the patient's needs.

Answer 1

1,4
Rationale 1: Developing eye contact will give comfort and reassurance when the patient is unable to speak while intubated.
Rationale 2: Sedation and not talking to the patient do not give support to the patient. Sedation may be needed but explaining the reason and timing for such should be for the improved ventilatory effectiveness and not the nurse's convenience.
Rationale 3: Pain medication needs to be given based on the patient's interpretation of its need. Restlessness is often a symptom of hypoxia and further assessment needs to be done before just medicating the patient.
Rationale 4: Developing a separate method of communication such as blinking one's eyes or squeezing the nurse's hand will give comfort and reassurance when the patient is unable to speak while intubated.
Rationale 5: It is not the family's role to communicate or to meet the needs of the patient. It is a nursing obligation to identify and meet the needs of the patient.