Any patient guilt about having a therapeutic abortion may be identified when the nurse assesses the functional health pattern of

• A. value-belief.
• B. cognitive-perceptual.
• C. sexuality-reproductive.
• D. coping-stress tolerance.

Answer: (A)

Guilt about a therapeutic abortion is best understood through the value-belief pattern, which focuses on a person’s core values, beliefs, and moral or religious frameworks that guide health decisions. Guilt often arises from an internal conflict between what the individual values or believes about life, morality, or responsibility and the action taken. By assessing this pattern, the nurse can uncover how personal or cultural values influence feelings about abortion, and address issues like forgiveness, guilt, or reconciliation with those beliefs. The other patterns address different domains—cognitive-perceptual relates to thought processes and perception, sexuality-reproductive covers sexual function and reproductive history, and coping-stress tolerance assesses how the person handles stress. While guilt can affect coping, the underlying source in this scenario is the patient’s value system and beliefs.