Final answer:
To assist patients with somatic symptom disorders, nurses should prioritize interventions that help patients shift their focus from physical symptoms to understanding their feelings and emotional state.
Step-by-step explanation:
To assist patients diagnosed with somatic symptom disorders, nursing interventions of high priority should aim to shift focus from somatic symptoms to feelings. Somatic symptom disorders involve physical symptoms that are significantly influenced by psychological factors. Interventions typically involve helping patients to understand the relationship between their symptoms and their emotions, rather than solely treating the physical manifestation. It is not as helpful to investigate each symptom as reported because the symptoms may not have a clear medical cause and doing so might reinforce the focus on physical symptoms. Helping patients to suppress feelings, especially anger, is not therapeutic, as it is important for them to express and work through their emotions. Explaining the pathophysiology of their symptoms may be less effective since somatic symptoms are intertwined with psychological factors—understanding the emotional aspect is crucial.