A nurse notes an altered body image problem for a client with Cushing's disease. Which intervention best supports this client?

A nurse notes an altered body image problem for a client with Cushing's disease. Which intervention best supports this client?

• A. Monitor blood glucose levels prior to meals and at bedtime.
• B. Perform a head-to-toe assessment on the client every shift.
• C. Use therapeutic communication to allow the client to discuss feelings.
• D. Assess bowel sounds and temperature every four hours.

Answer: (C)

Addressing altered body image requires emotional support and coping through therapeutic communication. In Cushing's disease, visible changes such as moon face, truncal obesity, and skin changes can significantly affect self-esteem and how the person views themselves. Encouraging the client to talk about feelings, fears, and concerns in a nonjudgmental, validating way helps them process the impact of these changes, reduces anxiety, and builds trust with the nurse. This approach also helps identify coping needs and connections to additional support, such as counseling or social work, and guides collaborative planning for care and reassurance. Monitoring blood glucose is important for metabolic control but doesn’t address the emotional impact of body image changes. A head-to-toe assessment and assessing bowel sounds and temperature are important for overall health and safety, but they do not specifically support the client’s psychosocial adjustment to appearance changes.

Addressing altered body image requires emotional support and coping through therapeutic communication. In Cushing's disease, visible changes such as moon face, truncal obesity, and skin changes can significantly affect self-esteem and how the person views themselves. Encouraging the client to talk about feelings, fears, and concerns in a nonjudgmental, validating way helps them process the impact of these changes, reduces anxiety, and builds trust with the nurse. This approach also helps identify coping needs and connections to additional support, such as counseling or social work, and guides collaborative planning for care and reassurance.

Monitoring blood glucose is important for metabolic control but doesn’t address the emotional impact of body image changes. A head-to-toe assessment and assessing bowel sounds and temperature are important for overall health and safety, but they do not specifically support the client’s psychosocial adjustment to appearance changes.