Final answer:
The best action for a nurse when a patient is rocking, grimacing, and rubbing temples is to assess for pain. Other actions, like mirroring behavior or offering prayer, are not appropriate initial responses.
Therefore the correct answer is option d Assess the patient for pain.
Step-by-step explanation:
If a white patient of German descent is observed rocking back and forth, grimacing, and rubbing both temples, the nurse's best action is to assess the patient for pain. These behaviors may indicate the patient is experiencing discomfort or distress and an assessment for pain should be prioritized to determine the cause and provide appropriate interventions. While extrapyramidal symptoms could be a consideration, especially if the patient is on certain medications, there is no mention of medication use, and immediate assumptions should not drive the initial nursing action. The other options, such as rocking in sync or offering to pray, do not directly address the potential root cause of the patient's behavior and should not be considered as the initial nursing action.
The examples provided in the reference materials suggest various neurological assessments that can be performed to diagnose issues within the nervous system. For instance, if impaired sensory functions are observed, a neurologist might ask the patient to perform tasks that require sensory feedback and movement coordination, such as touching each finger to their thumb or sliding the heel down the shin, to determine the origin of the impairment.