In caring for the patient’s spiritual needs, the nurse asks 20 questions to assess the patient’s relationship with God and a sense of life purpose and satisfaction. Which method is the nurse using?

Choice A reason: A belief tool is not a standardized method for spiritual assessment. The FICA tool specifically evaluates faith, importance, community, and action, including questions about God and purpose. Assuming a vague belief tool risks incomplete assessment, missing critical spiritual needs that influence patient coping and well-being in holistic care settings.

Choice B reason: The spiritual well-being scale measures general spiritual health but is not structured for detailed questions about God or life purpose, unlike the FICA tool’s targeted approach. Using this risks missing specific spiritual concerns, limiting the nurse’s ability to address existential needs critical for patient support in illness or end-of-life care.

Choice C reason: The FICA assessment tool (Faith, Importance, Community, Action) involves structured questions to evaluate spiritual beliefs, including relationships with God and life purpose. Its comprehensive 20-question format assesses spiritual needs, guiding holistic care. This method ensures tailored interventions, supporting emotional and spiritual well-being, critical for patients facing serious health challenges.

Choice D reason: The hope scale measures optimism but not specifically the relationship with God or life purpose, unlike the FICA tool’s broader spiritual focus. Assuming this method risks overlooking religious or existential concerns, reducing the effectiveness of spiritual care in addressing patient needs for meaning and satisfaction during health crises.

Choice A reason: During NREM sleep, biological functions like heart rate and metabolism decrease, not increase, to promote restoration. Increased functions occur in REM sleep or wakefulness. This statement is incorrect, as it misrepresents NREM sleep’s physiological role, making it an inappropriate teaching point.

Choice B reason: REM sleep increases cortical activity, supporting dreaming and memory processing, not decreasing it. This statement is inaccurate, as REM is characterized by high brain activity similar to wakefulness. It does not align with sleep’s benefits, making it incorrect for the teaching session.

Choice C reason: Restful sleep preserves cardiac function by reducing heart rate, blood pressure, and stress hormones, lowering cardiovascular strain. Adequate sleep prevents arrhythmias and hypertension, making this a correct teaching point to highlight sleep’s protective role in heart health for ICU patients.

Choice D reason: NREM sleep, especially deep stages, promotes body tissue restoration by facilitating protein synthesis and growth hormone release, aiding tissue repair. This is a key benefit, particularly for ICU patients recovering from illness, making it a correct point for the nurse’s teaching session.

Choice E reason: Sleep, particularly REM and deep NREM, supports cognitive restoration by consolidating memories and clearing brain metabolites. This enhances alertness and decision-making, critical for ICU patients’ recovery. This is a correct teaching point, emphasizing sleep’s role in mental clarity and function.