A 16-Year-Old Boy Has a Stiff Neck, Headache, Fever of 103°F

Multiple Choice

A 16-year-old boy has a stiff neck, headache, fever of 103°F, and purpuric lesions on his legs. He is admitted to the hospital for treatment of suspected meningococcemia. Although the adolescent's physical needs take priority at the present time, the nurse can expect which psychological stressor to be the most significant for this adolescent?

A) Fear of getting behind in schoolwork
B) Separation from friends and permanent changes in appearance
C) Separation from parents and home
D) Fear of painful procedures and bodily mutilation