The nurse is developing a plan of care for a female patient who expresses loss of interest in sexual intimacy with her husband following a mastectomy several months ago.What nursing diagnosis would be most appropriate for this patient?

A) Ineffective sexuality patterns
B) Sexual Dysfunction
C) Activity Intolerance and Fatigue
D) Disturbed Body Image

The patient's lack of sexual intimacy resulted following the mastectomy,so the most likely cause is the change in body image.Disturbed Body Image would be the most appropriate nursing diagnosis for this patient.If interventions help improve her body image,the sexual issues may resolve themselves.Although this patient is displaying an ineffective sexuality pattern,this is not the most appropriate diagnosis for this patient because it does not address the root cause of the problem the patient is experiencing; it is an etiology of the main problem.The choice of Sexual Dysfunction would not be wrong; however,it is not the best choice for this patient because it does not address the primary cause (or etiology)of the patient's change in sexual intimacy.There are no data cues in the item to indicate that this patient is experiencing activity intolerance or fatigue.