Expectations about specific benefits of nursing care

Sample Solution

• Start by assessing the patient's current level of comfort. This can be done by asking the patient to rate their comfort on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is very uncomfortable and 10 is very comfortable. The nurse should also ask the patient to describe their specific discomforts.
• Discuss the patient's expectations for comfort after surgery. What level of comfort do they expect to have? What interventions would they like the nurse to provide to help them achieve that level of comfort?
• Discuss the patient's chronic discomforts and interventions that they use at home for relief. This information can help the nurse to tailor the comfort plan to the patient's individual needs.
• Create a written comfort contract with the patient. The contract should include the patient's current level of comfort, their expectations for comfort after surgery, and their chronic discomforts and interventions that they use at home for relief.
• Review the comfort contract with the patient regularly. This will ensure that the patient's comfort needs are being met and that the contract is still relevant.

Full Answer Section

• Be clear and concise. The contract should be easy for the patient to understand.
• Be specific. The contract should include specific interventions that the nurse will provide to help the patient achieve their desired level of comfort.
• Be flexible. The contract should be flexible enough to accommodate changes in the patient's condition or needs.
• Be patient-centered. The contract should be focused on the patient's comfort and their individual needs.

• The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) has a Comfort Care Guide for Patients and Families. This guide provides information on how to create a comfort plan for patients.
• The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has a website on Comfort Care. This website provides information on how to manage pain and other discomforts in patients.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a website on Pain Management. This website provides information on how to assess and manage pain in patients.