A 15-year-old girl who is a victim of physical and sexual abuse is brought to the health care facility by her mother for a physical examination. She appears scared, tense, and nervous. She requests that the nurse not examine certain parts of her body and asks whether her mother could be present during the examination. The nurse tells her that her mother may be present for part of the examination, but will need to leave the room for the interview. The mother is upset by this, but the nurse explains that this is customarily done for victims of abuse, and she soon agrees. When conducting the physical exam, the nurse notes that there are several bruises and reddish areas on the client’s abdomen. The nurse palpates the client’s abdomen, and it is tender to touch.
(Learning Objectives: 1, 2, 5)
Question:
a. Prior to the examination, the nurse wants to prepare the physical environment to assure that the client is as comfortable as possible. What measure should the nurse take in preparing the examination room?
b. Once the examination is over, the client tells the nurse that she is planning on becoming a nurse; she then ask the nurse “When you checked my pulse, you touched lightly, but when you examined my stomach, you touched deeper. Why did you do that?”
