The mother of an adolescent with multiple medical and developmental issues says to the nurse: "There are times that I think about just walking out of the house and not coming back." Which would be an appropriate nursing diagnosis for this mother?
A) Caregiver Role Strain related to providing 24-hour care for a child with medical and developmental issues
B) Risk for Injury (maternal) related to overwhelming demands of the medically fragile child
C) Knowledge Deficit (maternal) related to nursing care of the child
D) Health-seeking Behaviors (maternal) related to interest in learning to care for her child

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The mother's statement suggests that she is experiencing difficulty managing her role as caregiver. Caregiver Role Strain is defined as "a state in which the caregiver experiences physical, emotional, social, and financial problems as a result of providing care for a dependent person." This diagnosis is appropriate because the mother is expressing feelings of frustration and burnout related to caring for a child with multiple medical and developmental issues. It is important for the nurse to assess the mother's support system and provide resources for respite care and emotional support.

The Mother of an Adolescent with Multiple Medical and Developmental