A patient has trouble speaking words, and the patient's speech is garbled. Which nursing diagnosis is most appropriate for this patient?
a. Hopelessness
b. Impaired verbal communication
c. Hearing loss
d. Self-care deficit
ANS: B
A patient with impaired verbal communication has defining characteristics such as an inability to articulate words, inappropriate verbalization, difficulty forming words, and difficulty comprehending. Hopelessness implies that the patient has no hope for the future. Hearing loss is not a nursing diagnosis. Just because a patient has garbled speech does not mean that a hearing loss has occurred; a physical problem such as a stroke could cause the garbled speech. Self-care deficit does not apply in this situation because this usually relates to bathing, grooming, etc.
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