The nurse caring for a patient who requires a temporary transcutaneous pacemaker. Which statement indicates that the patient understands the nurse's teaching?

Transcutaneous pacing (TCP) is an emergency non-invasive intervention used to stabilize patients with hemodynamically significant bradycardia. It delivers electrical impulses through large electrode pads placed on the chest and back to depolarize the myocardium. This high-voltage stimulus also affects the surrounding skeletal musculature, requiring significant nursing attention to patient comfort and sedation. A. Transcutaneous pacing is a strictly temporary, short-term bridge to either a transvenous pacemaker or a permanent surgical implant. It is usually maintained for only a few hours. Leaving the pads in place for 6 weeks would cause severe skin breakdown, thermal burns, and would be clinically inappropriate for long-term rhythm management. B. Sedation and analgesia are typically administered before or during the initiation of transcutaneous pacing, rather than after the procedure is finished. Because the electrical shocks are painful and distressing, the nurse must ensure the patient is adequately medicated to tolerate the repeated electrical stimuli required to maintain cardiac output. C. General anesthesia is not used for transcutaneous pacing. This is an emergency bedside procedure performed on conscious but symptomatic patients. While conscious sedation is used to manage pain and anxiety, the risks of general anesthesia would outweigh the benefits in an acutely unstable cardiac patient requiring immediate pacing. D. This statement shows correct understanding. The electrical current required to achieve "capture" (contraction of the heart) is high enough to stimulate the skeletal muscles of the chest wall and diaphragm. The patient should be warned that they will feel and see their muscles twitching or contracting in sync with the pacemaker’s discharge.