22. The night before surgery, a client is given pentobarbital sodium (Nembutal) for sleep, with an order to repeat. One hour later the client is still unable to sleep. What should the nurse do next?
22. The night before surgery, a client is given pentobarbital sodium (Nembutal) for sleep, with an order to repeat. One hour later the client is still unable to sleep. What should the nurse do next?
. Give the second dose of pentobarbital sodium.
. Prepare a glass of warm milk.
. Rub the client's back until relaxed.
. Explore the client's feelings about surgery.
Test-Taking Tip
Look for patterns—only one answer explores feelings about surgery.
Content Area: Mental Health, Anxiety; Integrated Process: Nursing Process, Analysis; Cognitive Level: Application; Client Need/Subneed: Psychosocial Integrity/Stress Management
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Answer 1 is incorrect because the second dose, although ordered, does not treat the presurgical anxiety. Answer 2 is incorrect because the client may be NPO. Answer 3 is incorrect because the question asks for a priority. Although not incorrect, this option does not address the suspected anxiety. Answer 4 is correct because, given the data, presurgical anxiety is suspected. The client needs an opportunity to talk about concerns related to surgery before further actions (which may mask the anxiety) are taken.