After a traumatic accident, the client must have his left arm amputated in an emergency procedure. When the client wakes from anesthesia and sees his arm has been amputated, he becomes extremely distressed. He cries uncontrollably and yells about how angry he is at the doctor. The best therapeutic action from the nurse is to
close the door to the client’s room and return to check on him periodically.
sit quietly with the client until he calms down.
explain to the client that he should not be angry because there was no other choice.
call the hospital chaplain to come speak with the client.
Number 2 is correct.
Rationale: The client is working through feelings of shock, anger, and sadness. The most therapeutic response from the nurse is to sit quietly with the client until he calms down. The nurse should not leave the client alone. The nurse can ask if the client would like to see a chaplain or a counselor but should not assume his wishes, as he did not ask to speak with the chaplain. The nurse should wait for the client to express his own feelings and not tell the client how to feel about the situation.
