A patient has been started on a stool softener for constipation. Which information should the nurse provide regarding onset of action?

1. "Continue to take this medication until your stool is very loose and diarrhea-like."
2. "If your discomfort gets worse, return to the clinic."
3. "This medication will work in about 8 hours."
4. "If you do not have a bowel movement by tomorrow, return to the clinic."


2
Rationale 1: There is no reason to take this medication until loose stools occur.
Rationale 2: If the patient has increased discomfort, additional assessment is indicated.
Rationale 3: This medication may take 2 or 3 days to work.
Rationale 4: Tomorrow is too soon to evaluate that therapy is unsuccessful.

Global Rationale: If the patient has increased discomfort, additional assessment is indicated. There is no reason to take this medication until loose stools occur. This medication may take 2 or 3 days to work. Tomorrow is too soon to evaluate that therapy is unsuccessful.

Nursing

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A male school-age student asks the school nurse, "How much with my height increase in a year?" The nurse should give which response?

a. "Your height will increase on average 1 inch a year." b. "Your height will increase on average 2 inches a year." c. "Your height will increase on average 3 inches a year." d. "Your height will increase on average 4 inches a year."

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Nurse 1: "The manager told me that you and I have to change work schedules to accommodate Jim. That means we will both have to work days and nights in the same week. There's nothing we can do about it."

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Nursing

A nurse is employed at a healthcare facility with a recent influx of many clients from a particular culture. The nurse is presenting information about the effect of one's culture on pain perception to a group of unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP). The nurse evaluates that the students need reteaching when one of them states

a) "Our perception of pain may differ from a client's as a result of cultural differences." b) "A client from this culture always exaggerates his or her pain." c) "Clients learn from others how to respond to pain." d) "Age and gender may explain differences about perception of pain."

Nursing