Comfort Contract
Evidence suggests that patients do better when their expectations about specific benefits of nursing care are discussed and met. How can a nurse do a “comfort contract” whereby patients or their surrogates designate an expected level of postsurgical overall comfort, and also where they can specify chronic discomforts and interventions that they use at home for relief?
Sample Answer
A comfort contract is a written agreement between a patient and their nurse that outlines the patient’s expectations for comfort care. The contract can be tailored to the individual patient’s needs and preferences, and can include specific interventions that the patient would like to receive.
To create a comfort contract, the nurse should first assess the patient’s comfort needs. This includes asking the patient about their pain level, their level of anxiety, and any other discomforts they are experiencing. The nurse should also ask the patient about their expectations for comfort care. What level of comfort do they hope to achieve? What interventions have been helpful to them in the past?