A patient who is taking a potassium-wasting diuretic for treatment of hypertension reports generalized weakness. Which action is appropriate for the nurse to take?

Choice A reason: Explaining the pain management plan with a pain rating scale empowers the patient to communicate pain levels, reducing preoperative fear. This aligns with patient education, making it the correct priority intervention the nurse would use to address fear of postoperative pain effectively.

Choice B reason: Informing about available medication is vague and less empowering than explaining the pain plan with a scale. This is incorrect, as it’s less comprehensive than the nurse’s priority of providing structured education to alleviate fear of postoperative pain.

Choice C reason: Guided imagery is useful but secondary to understanding the pain management plan, which directly addresses fear. This is incorrect, as it’s less immediate than the nurse’s focus on explaining the plan to reduce preoperative anxiety about pain control.

Choice D reason: Describing expected pain may increase fear without offering coping tools. Explaining the pain plan is proactive, making this incorrect, as it’s less effective than the nurse’s priority of providing a clear management strategy to ease postoperative pain concerns.

Choice A reason: Addison disease patients require increased corticosteroids during stress to compensate for adrenal insufficiency, preventing addisonian crisis. This aligns with endocrine management, making it the correct statement, as the nurse would expect dose adjustments to maintain stability in stressful situations.

Choice B reason: It’s false to claim Addison disease patients don’t need increased corticosteroids in stress; inadequate cortisol risks crisis. The true statement is correct, making this incorrect, as it contradicts the nurse’s understanding of managing adrenal insufficiency during stress.