Alzheimer’s Delirium and Dementia Q 54
The nurse is caring for a client with an autoimmune disorder at a medical clinic, where alternative medicine is used as an adjunct to traditional therapies. Which information should the nurse teach the client to help foster a sense of control over his symptoms?
A. Pathophysiology of disease process.
B. Principles of good nutrition.
C. Side effects of medications.
D. Stress management techniques.
Correct Answer: D. Stress management techniques
In autoimmune disorders, stress and the response to stress can exacerbate symptoms. Stress management techniques can help the client reduce the psychological response to stress, which in turn will help reduce the physiologic stress response. This will afford the client an increased sense of control over his symptoms.
Option A: Correctly prioritizing patient care is an essential good nursing practice. A nurse with multiple patients needs to determine the order that they will be seen. If a patient presents with multiple symptoms, the nurse must know which to address first. Understanding pathophysiology is essential for the critical thinking required by nurses to prioritize and deliver patient care. It will allow the nurse to recognize critical changes in the patient’s status and aid in making the correct judgments in the clinical setting.
Option B: Beginning with a discussion of basic health concepts and then explaining how nutrition affects our bodies is a good strategy. Nutrition is how food affects the health of the body. Food is essential—it provides vital nutrients for survival, and helps the body function and stay healthy. Food consists of macronutrients including protein, carbohydrate, and fat that not only offer calories to fuel the body and give it energy but play specific roles in maintaining health. Food also supplies micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) and phytochemicals that don’t provide calories but serve a variety of critical functions to ensure the body operates optimally.
Option C: The nurse can address the remaining answer choices in her teaching about the client’s disease and treatment; however, knowledge alone will not help the client to manage his stress effectively enough to control symptoms. It’s easy for patients to make significant mistakes with their medications. We know this because statistics show that every minute, around three Americans call a poison control center because they have done just that. Furthermore, data shows that the rate of serious mistakes is on the rise, with many errors leading to a hospital stay. While mistakes are inevitable, clinicians can help reduce their likelihood. That’s where the importance of medication education for patients comes in.