The nurse is caring for a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The patient complains of severe fatigue, a butterfly rash, and joint pain. Which nursing interventions are most appropriate for this patient? (Select all that apply.)
a. Encourage the use of a sun lamp to help with the rash.
b. Assess pain control measures that have helped the patient in the past.
c. Assist the patient with planning rest pe-riods throughout the day.
d. Remind the patient to avoid contact with people who have an infection.
e. Ensure the patient understands the impor-tance of her medication regimen.
B, C, D, E
Any type of sunlight tends to worsen the rash of patient with SLE and can cause a generalized flare-up of the disease. Pain control measures that have previously been effective should be con-tinued; intense fatigue is a common problem with SLE, so planned rest periods are necessary; infections often exacerbate the disease, so it is important to decrease the chance of the patient with SLE from being exposed to others with infections; and the medication regimen for the SLE patient should be maintained in order to prevent flare-ups of the disease or other body systems from being affected by SLE.
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