Question

The nurse is caring for an adolescent with an appendectomy who is reporting difficulty falling asleep. Which intervention will be most appropriate?

a. Close the door to decrease noise from unit activities.
b. Adjust temperature in the patient's room to 21° C (70° F).
c. Ensure that the night-light in the patient's room is working.
d. Encourage the discontinuation of a soda and chocolate nightly snack.

Answer 1

Encourage the discontinuation of a soda and chocolate nightly snack to help the adolescent fall asleep after an appendectomy.

Step-by-step explanation:

The most appropriate intervention to help an adolescent with difficulty falling asleep after an appendectomy would be to encourage the discontinuation of a soda and chocolate nightly snack (option d).

This is because soda and chocolate contain caffeine and sugar, which can interfere with sleep. Caffeine is a stimulant that can make it difficult to fall asleep, while sugar can cause energy spikes and crashes that disrupt sleep. By eliminating these substances from the diet, the adolescent may have an easier time falling asleep.

In addition to eliminating the nightly snack, it is also important to follow general guidelines for promoting good sleep hygiene. This includes keeping the bedroom quiet (option a), maintaining a comfortable temperature (option b), and ensuring that the environment is conducive to sleep. A working night-light (option c) may be helpful for some individuals, but it is not the most appropriate intervention in this case.