A patient is being treated on the mental health unit for an anxiety disorder. The patient approaches the nurse and reports feeling dizzy and weak, with a sensation of a racing heart. The nursing care plan includes interventions of imagery exercises and as-needed lorazepam (Ativan) for symptoms of anxiety. What should the nurse do first?

Choice A reason: Lying prone may be part of the care plan but is not specifically aimed at promoting ambulation.

Choice B reason: Coordination exercises are important but secondary to building the strength necessary for using mobility aids.

Choice C reason: Building upper body strength is essential for a patient who has had an above-the-knee amputation to be able to use assistive devices for ambulation effectively.

Choice D reason: Maintaining residual limb elevation is important for reducing swelling but does not directly promote ambulation.

Choice A reason: Signal anxiety refers to a specific concern or perceived threat, which is not indicated by the patient's statement.

Choice B reason: Severe anxiety is a high level of anxiety that would likely impair functioning, which cannot be determined from the patient's statement alone.

Choice C reason: Moderate anxiety is a manageable level of anxiety, but the patient's statement suggests a more pervasive and non-specific anxiety.

Choice D reason: Free-floating anxiety is a general feeling of dread or foreboding that is not attached to any specific issue or situation, which aligns with the patient's expression of a vague sense of impending doom.