The home health nurse is caring for a patient with tactile and visual deficits. The nurse is concerned about injury related to inability to feel harmful stimuli and teaches the patient safety strategies to maintain independence. Which action by the patient indicates successful learning?
Explanation & Rationale
Choice A reason: Placing colored stickers on faucet handles helps the patient with visual and tactile deficits identify hot and cold water, reducing burn risk. This action demonstrates successful learning of a safety strategy, promoting independence by compensating for sensory impairments and preventing injury from harmful stimuli. Choice B reason: Using a heating pad, even on low, is risky for a patient with tactile deficits, as they may not feel burns. This does not reflect safe learning, as it increases injury risk rather than mitigating it, making it an incorrect indicator of successful safety strategy adoption. Choice C reason: Asking the nurse to test water temperature relies on external assistance, not independence. While safe, it does not demonstrate the patient’s ability to manage risks autonomously, which is the goal of the teaching. This action indicates partial understanding, making it less correct. Choice D reason: Replacing lace-up shoes with Velcro straps improves ease but does not address injury risk from harmful stimuli like heat. This action is unrelated to tactile or visual deficits’ safety concerns, making it an incorrect indicator of successful learning for the taught safety strategies.