Which action is the priority when providing care to a patient in the preoperative period?

A. Dopamine: Dopamine is mainly involved in motivation, pleasure, and movement. Deficiencies are linked to Parkinson’s disease and schizophrenia rather than sleep and memory issues.

B. Serotonin: Serotonin plays a major role in regulating sleep, mood, and cognitive function. Low serotonin levels are associated with depression, sleep disturbances, and memory problems.

C. Norepinephrine: Norepinephrine is involved in alertness and the fight-or-flight response. While it affects attention and arousal, its deficiency is less directly linked to sleep dysregulation and memory loss.

D. Histamine: Histamine is primarily involved in wakefulness and allergic responses. While it plays a role in arousal, it is not the primary neurotransmitter for sleep regulation and memory.

A. Skin breakdown: This is a medical problem or symptom, but it is not a structured nursing diagnosis.

B. Elevated blood pressure: This is a clinical finding rather than a nursing diagnosis.

C. Anxiety: While anxiety is a medical condition, a complete nursing diagnosis should describe the specific effects on the patient, such as "Anxiety related to hospitalization as evidenced by restlessness and increased heart rate."

D. Ineffective breathing pattern: This is a standardized nursing diagnosis as defined by NANDA (North American Nursing Diagnosis Association). It refers to altered respiratory function that nurses can assess and manage.