A 19-year-old patient calls the school clinic and tells the nurse, "My menstrual period is very heavy this time. I have to change my tampon every 4 hours." Which action should the nurse take next?

Question

a. Tell the patient that her flow is not unusually heavy.
b. Schedule the patient for an appointment later that day.
c. Ask the patient how heavy her usual menstrual flow is.
d. Have the patient call again if the heavy flow continues.

Answer 1

ANS: C
Because a heavy menstrual flow is usually indicated by saturating a pad or tampon in 1 to 2 hours, the nurse should first assess how heavy the patient's usual flow is. There is no need to schedule the patient for an appointment that day. The patient may need to call again, but this is not the first action that the nurse should take. Telling the patient that she does not have a heavy flow implies that the patient's concern is not important.