Question

A patient expresses fear of going home and being alone. Her vital signs are stable and her incision is nearly completely healed. The nurse can infer from the subjective data that?

1) The patient can now perform the dressing changes herself.
2) The patient can begin retaking all her previous medications.
3) The patient is apprehensive about discharge.
4) The patient's surgery was not successful.

Answer 1

The patient's expressed fear of going home alone indicates they are likely apprehensive about their discharge, not about personal care, medication management, or surgical success.

Step-by-step explanation:

The fear expressed by a patient about going home and being alone, despite stable vital signs and a nearly completely healed incision, can lead a nurse to infer that the patient is experiencing emotional or psychological concerns related to their discharge from the hospital. Specifically, the subjective data provided by the patient suggests that option 3) The patient is apprehensive about discharge is the correct inference. This does not necessarily indicate the patient's ability to perform dressing changes (option 1), whether they can restart medications (option 2), or that the surgery was unsuccessful (option 4). It is important for the healthcare team to address these concerns by providing reassurance, resources for aftercare, and possibly arranging for home support if needed.