A nurse is providing presence to a patient and the family. Which nursing action does this involve?

Choice A reason: Holistic care for chronic anxiety involves assessing how worry impacts physical, emotional, and social functioning. This approach considers the patient’s lifestyle, coping mechanisms, and overall well-being, fostering tailored interventions like cognitive-behavioral therapy or relaxation techniques. Understanding functional impairment ensures comprehensive care, addressing root causes and promoting long-term management of anxiety.

Choice B reason: Focusing on quick remedies prioritizes short-term symptom relief over holistic care. Chronic anxiety requires sustained strategies, like therapy or lifestyle changes, rather than temporary fixes like medication alone. This approach neglects emotional and social factors, limiting effectiveness and failing to address the multifaceted nature of the patient’s condition.

Choice C reason: Assuming the patient’s only goal is anxiety relief oversimplifies their needs. Holistic care recognizes diverse goals, such as improving relationships or daily functioning. This narrow focus ignores emotional, spiritual, or social aspects, reducing care quality and failing to align with the comprehensive, patient-centered approach required for chronic anxiety.

Choice D reason: Suggesting little hope for relief is counterproductive and dismissive. Holistic care empowers patients with hope through education, coping strategies, and support. This approach risks worsening anxiety by fostering despair, contradicting the nurse’s role in promoting resilience and well-being, and failing to address the patient’s potential for improvement.

Choice A reason: Depression is strongly linked to insomnia in older adults, causing difficulty falling asleep due to rumination, low mood, or altered sleep architecture. Assessing for depression is critical, as it may underlie the sleep disturbance, requiring targeted interventions like therapy or antidepressants to improve sleep and mental health.

Choice B reason: Muscle fatigue may cause physical discomfort but is not a primary cause of difficulty falling asleep. It is more likely to affect sleep quality than initiation. Depression is a more common and significant contributor to insomnia in older adults, making this an incorrect choice.

Choice C reason: Hypertension can be associated with sleep apnea but is not directly linked to difficulty falling asleep. It may result from poor sleep but is less likely the cause. Depression is a more prevalent cause of insomnia, making this a less relevant condition to assess.

Choice D reason: Hypothyroidism can cause fatigue and sleepiness, not difficulty falling asleep. It is less commonly associated with insomnia compared to depression, which significantly disrupts sleep onset in older adults. This condition is less relevant to the patient’s presentation, making it incorrect.