A patient is recovering in the hospital following gastrectomy. The nurse notes that the patient has become increasingly difficult to engage and has had several angry outbursts at various staff members in recent days
The nurse's attempts at therapeutic dialogue have been rebuffed. What is the nurse's most appropriate action?
A) Ask the patient's primary care provider to liaise between the nurse and the patient.
B) Delegate care of the patient to a colleague.
C) Limit contact with the patient in order to provide privacy.
D) Make appropriate referrals to services that provide psychosocial support.
Ans: D
Feedback:
The nurse should enlist the services of clergy, psychiatric clinical nurse specialists, psychologists, social workers, and psychiatrists, if needed. This is preferable to delegating care, since the patient has become angry with other care providers as well. It is impractical and inappropriate to expect the primary care provider to act as a liaison. It would be inappropriate and unsafe to simply limit contact with the patient.
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