A Hospitalized Patient with a C7 Cord Injury Asks, "Why

question 12

Multiple Choice

A hospitalized patient with a C7 cord injury asks, "Why can't I feel my legs anymore?" Which is the most appropriate action by the nurse?

• A) Remind the patient of her injury and try to comfort her.
• B) Call the health care provider and get an order for radiologic evaluation.
• C) Prepare the patient for surgery, as her condition is worsening.
• D) Explain to the patient that this could be a common, temporary problem.

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Definitions:

Additive Strategy

An approach to decision making that involves considering all the important attributes of a choice and explicitly adding up their respective values to make a decision.

Heuristics

Mental shortcuts or rules of thumb that simplify decision making, but can lead to biases or errors in judgment.

Functional Fixedness

The failure to use familiar objects in novel ways to solve problems because of a tendency to view objects only in terms of their customary functions.

Problem-Solving Difficulty

Challenges or hindrances faced while attempting to find solutions or overcome obstacles.