A client who is scheduled for a bilateral inguinal hernia repair the n

QUESTION

A client who is scheduled for a bilateral inguinal hernia repair the next day is observed pacing the unit. After validating that the client is anxious about his upcoming surgery because he is afraid of pain, a relevant nursing diagnosis would be

a. anxiety related to surgery.
b. pain related to anxiety about surgery as evidenced by pacing.
c. anxiety related to fear of postoperative pain as evidenced by pacing.
d. pacing related to fear of postoperative pain.

ANSWER:

ANS: C
Anxiety is the problem to be addressed. Related to connects the problem to the etiology (fear of pain). The third part of the statement identifies the clinical evidence (pacing) that supports the diagnosis. There are three parts to a nursing diagnosis, and the anxiety is related specifically to fear of pain after surgery. The problem to be addressed is the anxiety, not the pain, at this time. “Pacing related to fear of postoperative pain” contains only two parts to this statement. Pacing is the evidence, not the problem.