When instructing the patient on breast self-examinations, the nurse tells the patient to raise her arms and inspect the breast in the mirror. The patient asks the nurse why she needs to do this. The nurse's best response is:

Question

A) "It will give you greater visibility."
B) "If you feel pain you will need to inspect it."
C) "It will help to observe for dimpling."
D) "Everyone is different in assessing the breast."

Answer 1

Ans: C
Feedback: The primary reason for raising the arms is to detect any dimpling. To elicit skin dimpling or retraction that may otherwise go undetected, the examiner instructs the patient to raise both arms overhead. This maneuver normally elevates both breasts equally. Pain does not always occur with breast masses. The assessment of the breast should be uniform.