Question

The nurse develops a list of nursing diagnoses for a patient receiving intravenous chemotherapy for breast cancer. The patient tells the nurse, "I understand that I will lose most of my hair. Will it grow back?" Which of the following diagnoses will address this statement?

A. Disturbed body image
B. Nausea
C. Risk for bleeding
D. Imbalanced nutrition: less than body requirements

Answer 1

The nursing diagnosis that addresses the patient's concern about hair loss due to chemotherapy is 'Disturbed body image.' This reflects the emotional impact of physical appearance changes.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nursing diagnosis that will address the patient's statement, "I understand that I will lose most of my hair. Will it grow back?" is Disturbed body image. This diagnosis is concerned with the patient's feelings and perceptions about their physical appearance, which are likely to be affected by hair loss resulting from the chemotherapy. Although other diagnoses such as Nausea, Risk for bleeding, and Imbalanced nutrition: less than body requirements are also relevant to a patient undergoing chemotherapy, they do not directly address the concern about hair loss. Instead, Disturbed body image speaks to the emotional and psychological impact of changes to one's personal appearance.