Fundamentals of Nursing Q 445
In educating clients about non-pharmaceutical alternatives, which topic could you delegate to an experienced LPN/LVN, who will function under your continued support and supervision?
A. Therapeutic touch
B. Use of heat and cold applications
C. Meditation
D. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
Correct Answer: B. Use of heat and cold applications
Use of heat and cold applications is a standard therapy with guidelines for safe use and predictable outcomes, and an LPN/LVN will be implementing this therapy in the hospital, under the supervision of an RN. Treating pain with hot and cold can be extremely effective for a number of different conditions and injuries, and easily affordable. The tricky part is knowing what situations call for hot, and which calls for cold. Sometimes a single treatment will even include both.
Option A: Therapeutic touch requires additional training and practice. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine places therapeutic touch (TT) into the category of bio-field energy. In the TT method, the therapist’s hand is used to increase comfort and reduce pain using the body’s energy field correction mechanism
Option C: Meditation is not acceptable to all clients and an assessment of spiritual beliefs should be conducted. Mindfulness meditation is a fairly loose term that applies to many meditation practices, which have been found to improve a wide spectrum of clinically relevant cognitive and health outcomes.
Option D: Transcutaneous electrical stimulation is usually applied by a physical therapist. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is a therapy that uses low voltage electrical current to provide pain relief. A TENS unit consists of a battery-powered device that delivers electrical impulses through electrodes placed on the surface of your skin. The electrodes are placed at or near nerves where the pain is located or at trigger points.