A female client has experienced alopecia due to chemotherapy. She is distraught and feels that no one will want to look at her. How can the nurse best address the client's concerns?
1. Show the client photos of cancer survivors whose hair grew back more thickly
2. Discuss the client's feelings about the effects of her hair loss
3. Have a cancer survivor visit the client and discuss wearing a wig
4. Tell the client that her hair will grow back in a few weeks
Correct Answer: 2
Rationale 1: Showing the client photos will not help, as her hair might not grow back more thickly.
Rationale 2: The client needs to discuss and explore the meaning of her hair loss to deal with her feelings.
Rationale 3: Having a cancer survivor visit is a good plan but is premature at this time.
Rationale 4: The client's hair will grow back, but this is not the most therapeutic plan.
Global Rationale: The potential for alopecia should be discussed with patients before treatment begins so that they may choose to wear a hat, bandana, wig, or other accessory. During this discussion the patient should be allowed to express feeling about impending hair loss. Having a cancer survivor visit and telling the patient that hair will grow back are not the most therapeutic actions at this time.
You might also like to view...
Before beginning the health history interview, the nurse should perform all actions except:
a. Smile and ask the patient whether she has any special concerns. b. Speak in a relaxed manner with an even, nonjudgmental tone. c. Make the patient comfortable. d. Tell the patient her questions are irrelevant.
A nurse is using health status indicators to complete a community assessment. Which of the fol-lowing best explains what the nurse is doing?
a. Interviewing key informants in the com-munity b. Examining morbidity and mortality rates in the community c. Surveying local businesses in the commu-nity d. Observing community members
Larry has heart failure, which is being treated with digoxin because it exhibits:
1. Negative inotropism 2. Positive chronotropism 3. Both 1 and 2 4. Neither 1 nor 2
As the nurse, if you were going to determine the health status of a community, as opposed to assessing the health system or assessing the population, you would assess which of the following factors?
a. Level of education and socioeconomic status b. Availability of health resources 24 hours per day c. Age, gender, and ethnic patterns d. Housing and safety of neighborhoods