A patient tells you that he periodically takes a prescribed medication to relieve arthritis pain. It was prescribed by his health care provider 5 years ago. What is the nurse's most appropriate response?
a. "You should discard any unused portion of a medication by the stated expiration date because some medications lose their potency and others become toxic."
b. "You need to ask your health care provider if you should continue taking this medication when you experience arthritic pain."
c. "I'll contact your health care provider about your expired medication and ask for a new prescription if she thinks it is appropriate."
d. "Have you tried any herbal products for relief of your pain?"
A
Many patients keep unused medications past their expiration date. This presents a potential health hazard because some medications lost their potency after a period of time, and others become toxic. The nurse should inform the patient to discard any unused portion of medication by the stated expiration date. It is potentially unsafe to continue taking an expired medication; therefore, option "b" is not appropriate. It is inappropriate for the nurse to ask the patient's health care provider for a new prescription. Because herbal products are considered dietary supplements in the United States, they are not held to the same level of scrutiny and accountability as medications. Different brands of the same herbal product can have varying levels of potency and purity. It is not appropriate for a nurse to recommend an herbal product in this instance.
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A) Retching B) Regurgitation C) Projectile vomiting D) Emesis
An intensive care unit (ICU) nurse notices that patients seem to have more normal vital signs when they are being visited by their family members, especially when the visitors seem to be more "caring."
However, the hospital has strict visiting hours of 10 minutes every other hour. What would be the most appropriate research question to ask at this time? a. What is patient and family satisfaction with visitation time? b. What is the relationship between length of visitation and vital signs? c. What are the vital signs of ICU patients when visited by caring visitors in comparison with when they are alone? d. Do ICU patients have vital signs in the normal range more frequently when they are being visited by family members?
The bell of the stethoscope placed at the apex is more useful than the diaphragm for hearing:
a. a pericardial friction rub. b. high-pitched murmurs. c. presystolic gallops. d. systolic ejection sounds.
A patient states, "I've been sick for days and all the doctor does is take a chest X-ray, hand me prescriptions, and tell me I have bronchitis.". How should the nurse respond?
1. "Your treatment is appropriate for the diagnosis.". 2. "You should have had more diagnostic tests.". 3. "The treatment you are receiving is inadequate for the diagnosis of bronchitis.". 4. "You should probably be hospitalized.".