A newly diagnosed diabetic client is crying and says "I can't learn to live with this. It's overwhelming and people with diabetes get their feet cut off and just die!" The best response by the nurse is
a. "I know you are upset, but try to think about learning to cope with this."
b. "Think of your children; they need you to learn to control your disease."
c. "When you're ready, I can teach you to make good decisions about diabetes."
d. "Would you like to have a social worker or chaplain come visit you?"
C
In the empowerment approach to diabetic education, the nurse assumes the client will be capable of being responsible for making informed decisions about their diabetes care. This is a powerful coping mechanism. However, a newly diabetic client may wish to have the health care team make decisions until the client feels ready, after becoming more familiar with the disease and costs/benefits of different treatment options. Option c is the only answer that utilizes knowledge of the empowerment-based educational approach with the sensitive understanding that the client may not yet be ready for education.
You might also like to view...
A child is being mechanically ventilated and is very agitated and fighting the ventilator despite receiving fentanyl citrate (Sublimaze) and midazolam (Versed). Which action by the nurse is the most appropriate?
A. Restrain the hands so child does not pull out the endotracheal tube. B. Request an order for vecuronium bromide (Norcuron). C. Slow the frequency and depth of mandatory ventilations. D. Tell the family that someone must stay at the bedside.
The nurse cares for a client with liver failure and impaired bilirubin clearance. What does the nurse know is true regarding bilirubin?
A) It is the waste product of red blood cell destruction. B) It is the by-product of protein metabolism. C) It is produced in the small bile ducts. D) It is produced in the hepatic duct.
The client, whose mother has Huntington disease, is considering genetic testing but is not sure whether she really wants to know the results. She asks what the nurse would do in her situation. What is the nurse's best response?
a. "I would have the test so I could decide whether to have children or to adopt children." b. "I can only tell you the benefits and the risks of testing. You must make this deci-sion yourself." c. "Because there is no cure for this disease and testing would not be beneficial, I would not have the test." d. "You need to check with your brothers and sisters to determine whether testing for this disease would be appropriate for you."
According to established standards, what healthcare provider should conduct a holistic assessment for all patients admitted to the hospital?
A) physician C) licensed practical nurse B) admission clerk D) registered nurse