The family of a patient with Alzheimer's disease asks the nurse, "When will my mother quit being so confused?" The nurse's response should be based on the fact that dementia is:
1. a short-term confusional state that is typically reversible.
2. a state of confusion caused primarily by medications.
3. confusion that usually begins abruptly and lasts a short period of time.
4. a syndrome that is often chronic and irreversible.
4
Alzheimer's disease is a type of dementia that is chronic and irreversible. Delirium is a short-term confusional state that has a sudden onset and is typically reversible.
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A patient tells the nurse that his wife, who has been diagnosed with inoperable ovarian cancer, is talking about dying and fear of death. He asks the nurse for suggestions that will be of assistance to his wife
Which response by the nurse would be most helpful? a. "Your wife will probably die of another disease before she dies of ovarian cancer." b. "Talk of death is normal at this time but will diminish in the future." c. "Your wife is expressing an acceptance of utilizing hospice care." d. "It is perfectly normal to want to talk about death. It is most helpful to support her by listening."
The nurse obtains an ECG monitor strip and makes the following analysis: no apparent P waves, ventricular rate 152 beats per minute and regular, and narrow QRS complex (0.08). The nurse interrupts this rhythm as:
1. Supraventricular tachycardia. 2. Sinus tachycardia. 3. Atrial fibrillation. 4. Ventricular fibrillation.
The nurse assesses that the client has torticollis and that this may adversely influence the client's mobility. This individual has a(n):
1. Exaggeration of the lumbar spine curvature 2. Increased convexity of the thoracic spine 3. Abnormal anteroposterior and lateral curvature of the spine 4. Contracture of the sternocleidomastoid muscle with a head incline
A patient admitted yesterday for injuries sustained in a fall while intoxicated believes bugs are crawling on the bed. The patient is anxious, agitated, and diaphoretic. What is the priority nursing diagnosis?
a. Ineffective airway clearance b. Ineffective coping c. Ineffective denial d. Risk for injury