Nursing care measures are commonly offered to women in labor. Which nursing measure reflects application of the gate-control theory?
a. Massaging the woman's back
b. Changing the woman's position
c. Giving the prescribed medication
d. Encouraging the woman to rest between contractions
ANS: A
According to the gate-control theory, pain sensations travel along sensory nerve pathways to the brain, but only a limited number of sensations, or messages, can travel through these nerve pathways at one time. Distraction techniques such as massage or stroking, music, focal points, and imagery reduce or completely block the capacity of nerve pathways to transmit pain. These distractions are thought to work by closing down a hypothetic gate in the spinal cord and thus preventing pain signals from reaching the brain. The perception of pain is thereby diminished. Changing the woman's position, giving prescribed medication, and encouraging rest do not reduce or block the capacity of nerve pathways to transmit pain using the gate-control theory.
You might also like to view...
Which client does the nurse assess first for pain control?
a. Older client with chronic rheumatoid arth-ritis b. Client postoperative day three walking in the hallway c. Sleeping client with an epidural pump d. Quiet client with pancreatic cancer curled up in bed
Which client should the nurse consider at an increased risk for infection as a result of a chronic health problem?
A. 28-year-old client who wears contact lenses B. 28-year-old client with type 1 diabetes mellitus C. 48-year-old client with a known hypersensitivity to latex D. 48-year-old client taking analgesics for migraine headaches
The pediatric nurse caring for children with endocrine disorders teaches the student nurse that the polyendocrine deficiency syndrome is classified into two separate forms referred to as type I and type II
The nurse further states that type I occurs in children and is accompanied by: Select all answers that apply. A) chronic active hepatitis. B) chronic candida infections. C) overactive parathyroid glands. D) precocious sexual development.
A nurse suspects one of the emergency room patients is an illicit drug user. Which screening methods should the nurse use to verify this conclusion?
A. A clinician's guide B. Both 1 and 3 C. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) ASSIST tool D. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5)