The nurse believes that a client from another cultural background is using herbal remedies along with the prescribed medication to treat her arthritis. What should be the nurse's first action?
a. Tell the client that herbs will interfere with the prescribed medication.
b. Ask the client why additional remedies are being used.
c. Determine what herbs are being used and if there is any contraindication to the prescribed medication.
d. Contact the physician to alert him or her about the herbal remedies.
C
Rather than dismissing this practice as dangerous and incompatible with Western medicine, the nurse should investigate further to find out what herbs are being used, and if they are contraindi-cated when taken with the prescribed medication.
The nurse may be making a false statement. Consultation and collaboration with herbalists can prevent unwarranted distress for the nurse and the client.
Asking the client why additional remedies are being used may make the client feel defensive. The nurse must first determine what herbs are being used.
Contacting the physician should not be the nurse's first action. The nurse should initially deter-mine what herbs are being used and their effectiveness.
You might also like to view...
A nurse hears screaming from a client's room. A male visitor leaves the client's room. Which is the nurse's priority action?
1. Call the police. 2. Notify the client's physician. 3. Follow the visitor. 4. Check on the client.
A group of disaster survivors is being defused by the critical incident stress management (CISM) team. What explanation describes the purpose of defusing?
A) To assess how the patient is coping emotionally after the disaster B) To educate the patient on future coping strategies in future disasters C) To provide individuals with education about recognizing stress reactions D) To assess the need for referral to mental health
The pain with appendicitis is primarily located in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen
Indicate whether the statement is true or false
The nurse is caring for a patient diagnosed with renal failure. What should the nurse recognize as compensation for the acid?base disturbance found in patients with renal failure?
1. The patient breathes rapidly to eliminate carbon dioxide. 2. The patient will retain bicarbonate in excess of normal. 3. The pH will decrease from the present value. 4. The patient's oxygen saturation level will improve.