A nurse is assisting with the care of an adolescent who is scheduled for surgery. Which of the following actions should the nurse plan to take?

A. Provide a tour of the perioperative area prior to surgery: Familiarizing an adolescent with the surgical environment helps reduce anxiety, promotes understanding of the procedure, and encourages cooperation. A tour allows the client to see equipment, meet staff, and ask questions, which supports emotional preparation and informed consent. B. Explain that anesthesia is a special type of sleep: Describing anesthesia as “sleep” can be misleading and may cause fear or misunderstanding about the procedure. Adolescents benefit from honest, age-appropriate explanations about anesthesia, including how it works and safety measures, rather than oversimplified analogies. C. Wait until after surgery to explain the importance of coughing and deep breathing: Preoperative teaching about postoperative exercises, including coughing and deep breathing, helps prevent complications such as atelectasis and pneumonia. Delaying instruction reduces the client’s readiness and may decrease adherence after surgery. D. Keep medical equipment out of the client's sight: While minimizing exposure to intimidating equipment can reduce anxiety for younger children, adolescents are generally better able to process information. Hiding equipment can increase fear of the unknown, whereas exposure during a tour helps normalize the environment and improve coping.