Mr. Hammond is a 70-year-old man with a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes who developed a diabetic foot ulcer earlier this year. He has recently been discharged from the hospital and now requires regular wound care

Question

Karen is a community health nurse who provides wound care for
Mr. Hammond twice weekly. Which of Karen's actions is most likely to empower Mr.
Hammond?

A) Encourage Mr. Hammond to acknowledge his contribution to the development of his
wound.
B) Provide information to Mr. Hammond that matches his expressed needs.
C) Encourage Mr. Hammond to involve members of his family in his care.
D) Delegate wound care to Mr. Hammond and reduce the frequency of her visits.

Answer 1

Ans: B
Client empowerment is often fostered by assessing and meeting a client's need for
information. Encouraging an acknowledgement of the client's contribution to his or her current
health state is beneficial in many circumstances, but it less likely to make the client feel
empowered. Similarly, family involvement can be beneficial but does not directly foster
empowerment. Empowerment does not necessarily mean that the nurse does less and the client
performs his or her own care; delegation may not be appropriate.