Final answer:
Mr. Mathis does not exhibit any signs of impaired religiosity or spiritual distress; instead, his faith suggests a source of coping, making 'Spiritual distress' an inappropriate nursing diagnosis. 'Risk for impaired religiosity,' 'Ineffective coping,' and 'Altered thought processes' do not align with his expressed faith and hopeful outlook.
Step-by-step explanation:
Based on the information provided, if Mr. Mathis maintains a strong belief that God will be with him during his health challenge, it does not indicate that he is at risk for impaired religiosity or experiencing spiritual distress. Instead, his faith may offer him a coping mechanism associated with his health challenges. Research has shown that religious or spiritual beliefs can be a source of comfort and may provide people with increased ability to cope with life-altering events. Therefore, in the context of a nursing diagnosis for a care plan, the most appropriate choice from the given options is B) Spiritual distress, which would not apply in this case since the patient is expressing faith and hope rather than distress or a crisis of faith.
Option A) Risk for impaired religiosity would suggest that the patient is at risk of losing their faith or spiritual practice, which again, does not seem to be suggested based on Mr. Mathis's expression of faith. Option C) Ineffective coping would suggest that his coping mechanisms are not adequate, but his expression of faith suggests otherwise. Option D) Altered thought processes would be relevant to cognitive changes that do not appear pertinent to his expression of faith.