Question

The home health nurse is developing a plan of care for a patient who will be managing his chronic pain at home. Using the nursing process, on which concepts should the nurse focus the patient teaching?

a) Self-care and safety
b) Autonomy and need
c) Health promotion and exercise
d) Dependence and health

Answer 1

The nurse should focus on self-care and safety for the plan of care for a patient managing chronic pain at home, which includes medication management and lifestyle modifications to alleviate pain, and safety measures to prevent complications.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a home health nurse is developing a plan of care for a patient who will be managing his chronic pain at home, the nurse should focus patient teaching on the concepts of self-care and safety. This involves educating the patient on suitable methods for pain management that they can perform independently, such as proper medication usage, recognizing signs of complications, and implementing lifestyle modifications that can help alleviate pain. Moreover, teaching should include safety measures that prevent exacerbation of pain or harm, like the safe use of assistive devices, understanding when to seek professional help, and knowing how to avoid potential hazards in the home environment.