The nurse recognizes which of the following as the greatest barrier to

The nurse recognizes which of the following as the greatest barrier to meeting a preoperative cli-ent’s nursing diagnosis of deficient knowledge regarding surgical procedure?

1. Effects of preoperative medication
2. Complicated nature of the information
3. Fear or anxiety regarding the procedure
4. Emotional denial regarding surgical outcomes

ANSWER

ANS: 3
Anxiety and fear are barriers to learning, and both emotions heighten as surgery approaches. Ed-ucation should be provided before any preoperative sedation is administered; the information should be introduced in terms that the client can understand. The presence of denial is an as-sumption that is not necessarily correct.