The nurse plans care for the client in acute care. Which is the priority nursing diagnosis for a client with altered sensory perception?

Question

1. At risk for injury
2. Deficient knowledge
3. Impaired communication
4. Impaired social interaction

Answer 1

1
1. The client with a sensory impairment is at high risk for injury because many me-thods of communication with the client cannot be used or need alterations because of the client's impairment and render the client unable to follow important directions, visualize hazards, or provide information to the health care team.
2. Deficient knowledge is a suitable nursing diagnosis for the client who has a sensory impairment in acute care because the client is likely to miss important information and is unaware of potential solutions to the problem.
3. The client with a sensory impairment usually has a communication impairment and creates the risk for injury. The nurse's priority, however, is to maintain safety first and then to manage the communication impairment to prevent injury effectively.
4. The client with a sensory impairment frequently has impaired social interaction, so this is a reasonable nursing diagnosis for the client; however, safety will always be more important than psychosocial issues.