The nurse's friend is taking a benzodiazepine to help with anxiety. The friend tells the nurse about reading that kava is good for anxiety too, and says,
"I bought some at the local health store. After all, it's ‘natural'. I'd rather use natural products than a medication to help my anxiety."
The nurse's response should be which of the following?
1. "It's a medicine too and should not be mixed with your other meds."
2. "Have you told your doctor about this? Benzo's can be addictive."
3. "That's great, I'm glad you're going natural."
4. "Kava is harmless. Good for you to take such initiative."
1
Rationale: Herbal products may be "natural" but they are still medicine. Benzodiazepines may be addictive, but that is not the only reason for the friend to speak about this with a physician. There is a potential for addiction or overdose because kava is comparable to low-dose benzodiazepines. Long-term use or high doses of kava is possibly unsafe as it is associated with liver failure.
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The nurse is working with a child whose religious beliefs differ from those of the general population. The best nursing intervention to use to meet the specific spiritual needs of this child and family is to:
1. Ask, "How does the child and family's religious/spiritual beliefs impact their practices for health and illness?" 2. Show respect while allowing time and privacy for religious rituals. 3. Ask, "What do you think caused the child's illness?" 4. Identify health care practices forbidden by religious or spiritual beliefs.
The family pattern in which the female assumes primary dominance in areas of child care and homemaking as well as financial decision making is known as the:
a. autocratic family pattern. b. patriarchal family pattern. c. matriarchal family pattern. d. democratic family pattern.
A nurse is performing an assessment on a client who is suspected of having MG. The complaint made by the client that reflects a manifestation commonly seen in clients with this disease is
a. "By the end of the day, my eyelids usually are drooping." b. "I have a great deal of difficulty getting up after I rest for a while." c. "I perspire more then I ever have in the past." d. "When I have a cold, I usually have a strong cough with it."
A patient has the following pulmonary function test results. For which patient should the nurse identify these findings as being normal?
1. a child 2. an adolescent 3. a middle-aged patient 4. an elderly patient