While the patient's lower extremity, which is in a cast, is assessed, the patient tells the nurse about an inability to rest at night. The nurse disregards this information, thinking that no correlation has been noted between having a leg cast and developing restless sleep. Which action would have been best for the nurse to take?

A) Tell the patient to just focus on the leg and cast right now.
B) Document the sleep patterns and information in the patient's chart.
C) Explain that a more thorough assessment will be needed next shift.
D) Ask the patient about usual sleep patterns and the onset of having difficulty resting.

Question

Jessica Nicholas · Accepted Answer

Final Answer : D, Explanation :  The nurse must use critical thinking skills in this situation to assess first in this situation. The best response is to gather more assessment data by asking the patient about usual sleep patterns and the onset of having difficulty resting. The nurse should assess before documenting and should not ignore the patient's report of a problem or postpone it till the next shift.

Definitions

Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

Related questions