An overweight female patient who had enjoyed active outdoor activities is stressed because she is limited in what she can do because she has osteoarthritis in her hips. Which action by the nurse will best assist the patient to cope with this situation?

a. Ask the patient what activities she misses the most.
b. Have the patient practice frequent relaxation breathing.
c. Teach the patient to use imagery to decrease pain and decrease stress.
d. Encourage the patient to think about how weight loss might improve symptoms.


ANS: D
For problems that can be changed or controlled, problem-focused coping strategies, such as encouraging the patient to lose weight, are most helpful. The other strategies also may assist the patient in coping with her problem, but they will not be as helpful as a problem-focused strategy.

Nursing

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The nurse emphasizes that a toddler under the age of 18 months should never be spanked primarily for which reason?

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The physician orders a dose of medication that does not resolve the client's chronic pain. When the nurse questions the order, the physician explains that he or she fears the client will develop an addiction with higher drug dosages

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The nurse is caring for a patient with a small chronic pressure ulcer on the ankle. Which activity can the nurse delegate to nursing assistive personnel (NAP)?

a. Measure the wound for length, width, and depth. b. Reposition the patient at least every 2 hours. c. Ask the patient to rate the pain during the dressing change. d. Examine the wound bed for the type and amount of tissue.

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In which order will the nurse perform the following actions when caring for a patient with possible C5 spinal cord trauma who is admitted to the emergency department? (Put a comma and a space between each answer choice [A, B, C, D, E].)

a. Infuse normal saline at 150 mL/hr. b. Monitor cardiac rhythm and blood pressure. c. Administer O2 using a non-rebreather mask. d. Immobilize the patient's head, neck, and spine. e. Transfer the patient to radiology for spinal computed tomography (CT).

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