The nurse is doing a prehospitalization orientation for a girl, ...

[crazycityslicker]

The nurse is doing a prehospitalization orientation for a girl, age 7 years, who is scheduled for cardiac surgery. As part of the preparation, the nurse explains that after the surgery, the child will be in the intensive care unit. How might the explanati
 
  a. Unnecessary
  b. The surgeon's responsibility
  c. Too stressful for a young child
  d. An appropriate part of the child's preparation

Question 2

A 9-year-old boy has an unplanned admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) after abdominal surgery. The nursing staff has completed the admission process, and his condition is beginning to stabilize. When speaking with the parents, the nurse should expe
 
  a. Usual daynight routine
  b. Calming influence of staff
  c. Adequate privacy and support
  d. Insufficient remembering of his condition and routine

[rachel]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: D
The explanation is a necessary part of preoperative preparation and will help reduce the anxiety associated with surgery. If the child wakes in the intensive care unit and is not prepared for the environment, she will be even more anxious. This is a joint responsibility of nursing, medical staff, and child life personnel.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: D
ICUs, especially when the family is unprepared for the admission, are strange and unfamiliar. There are many pieces of unfamiliar equipment, and the sights and sounds are much different from those of a general hospital unit. Also, with the child's condition being more precarious, it may be difficult to keep the parents updated on what is happening. Lights are usually on around the clock, seriously disrupting the diurnal rhythm. In most ICUs, the staff works with a sense of urgency. It is difficult for parents to ask questions about their child when staff is with other patients. Usually little privacy is available for families in ICUs.

[crazycityslicker]

Wow, this really help

[blakcmamba]

Excellent