The nurse is caring for a patient diagnosed with expressive aphasia from a traumatic brain injury. Which goal will the nurse include in the plan of care?

Choice A reason: Expressive aphasia involves difficulty producing speech or writing, not understanding language, as seen here. The patient’s issue is comprehending spoken and written words, indicating receptive aphasia. Reporting expressive aphasia risks misdiagnosis, delaying targeted speech therapy critical for addressing comprehension deficits and improving communication in affected patients.

Choice B reason: Motor aphasia is not a standard term; it may confuse with expressive aphasia, which affects speech output, not comprehension. The patient’s difficulty understanding language points to receptive aphasia. Misreporting as motor risks incorrect treatment, delaying interventions like language therapy needed to support comprehension and functional communication recovery.

Choice C reason: Receptive aphasia, or Wernicke’s aphasia, involves impaired comprehension of spoken and written language due to temporal lobe damage, matching the patient’s symptoms. Reporting this ensures accurate communication to the next shift, guiding targeted speech therapy and care planning to improve language processing and patient interaction in clinical settings.

Choice D reason: Global aphasia involves severe deficits in both expression and comprehension, unlike the patient’s specific difficulty understanding language. Reporting global aphasia overstates the impairment, risking inappropriate interventions. Accurate identification of receptive aphasia ensures focused therapy, addressing comprehension deficits critical for effective communication and patient care.

Choice A reason: Documenting the time of body transfer and destination ensures accurate tracking of the deceased, maintaining chain of custody and compliance with legal and hospital protocols. This information supports coordination with morgue or funeral services, preventing errors in body handling and ensuring respectful, organized end-of-life care per regulatory standards.

Choice B reason: Special preparations, like cleaning or cultural rituals, must be documented to reflect respectful care aligned with patient or family wishes. This ensures continuity of care, legal compliance, and sensitivity to cultural or religious practices, preventing oversight of specific requests and supporting dignified handling of the deceased in medical records.

Choice C reason: Time and date of death are critical for legal and medical documentation, establishing the official record required for death certificates and hospital reporting. Accurate recording ensures compliance with regulations, supports family closure, and prevents discrepancies in legal or insurance processes, making it essential in end-of-life care documentation.

Choice D reason: Location of body identification tags is documented to ensure proper identification, preventing errors during transfer or postmortem procedures. This complies with hospital policies and legal standards, ensuring traceability and respect for the deceased. Accurate tagging documentation supports safe, organized handling, critical for ethical end-of-life care management.

Choice E reason: Reason for death may be noted by physicians but is not typically required in nursing end-of-life documentation unless specified. Nurses focus on procedural details like time of death or body preparation. Including this risks role confusion, as determining cause is a medical responsibility, potentially leading to inaccurate or incomplete nursing records.