The nurse learns that a newly admitted patient has functional blindness and that the spouse has cared for the patient for many years. During the initial assessment of the patient, it is most important for the nurse to
a. obtain more information about the cause of the patient's vision loss.
b. obtain information from the spouse about the patient's special needs.
c. make eye contact with the patient and ask about any need for assistance.
d. perform an evaluation of the patient's visual acuity using a Snellen chart.
ANS: C
Making eye contact with a partially sighted patient allows the patient to hear the nurse more easily and allows the nurse to assess the patient's facial expressions. The patient (rather than the spouse) should be asked about any need for assistance. The information about the cause of the vision loss and assessment of the patient's visual acuity are not priorities during the initial assessment.
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