You are performing patient education for Mrs. Franklin, who is scheduled for exploratory surgery to find the cause for abnormal lab results and her extreme pain. You explain the surgery to her and tell her what to expect after the surgery. When you ask if she has any questions, she says, "What exactly do they expect to find? Is it bad?" How should you respond? 

A. "They are probably looking for signs that you have some type of organ cancer."
B. "Well, it must be pretty bad, or they wouldn't be doing the surgery."
C. "I am not sure. Would you like to discuss this further with the physician?"
D. "The purpose of exploratory surgery is to fix whatever is wrong with you."
E. "I can't be sure, but from what I see in your chart, it could be very serious."

C. "I am not sure. Would you like to discuss this further with the physician?"
You should be very careful not to go beyond your scope of practice when answering questions during patient education.