A patient reports having three to four stools, which are sometimes hard, per week. The nurse will perform which action?

a. Recommend increased fluids and dietary fiber.
b. Request an order for a laxative as needed.
c. Request an order for a stool softener.
d. Suggest discussing chronic constipation with the provider.


ANS: A
This patient is having stools that are within the normal range for frequency. Nonpharmacologic measures should be used first to help soften stools.

Nursing

You might also like to view...

After a person was abducted and raped at gunpoint by an unknown assailant, which assessment finding best indicates the acute phase of the rape-trauma syndrome?

a. Decreased motor activity b. Confusion and disbelief c. Flashbacks and dreams d. Fears and phobias

Nursing

Sentinel event alerts are published by TJC to do which of the following?

a. Allow facilities to learn from sentinel events that have occurred in other facili-ties and incorporate recommendations for prevention into their policies. b. Notify hospitals that if a sentinel event occurs during an alert, the hospital will be subject to withdrawal of Medicare and Medicaid certification and reimbursement. c. Prevent a near-miss from occurring. d. Assist hospitals to find national standar-dized performance measures to benchmark themselves against other similar hospitals.

Nursing

The nurse researcher can most accurately determine sample size by considering what?

a. The stamina of the researcher in data collection b. The importance of the independent variable c. The age of the potential subjects d. The design of the study

Nursing

Chloe, a 13-year-old girl, has herpes simplex 1 on her lip. She asks the school nurse if the virus is contagious. The best answer from the school nurse is:

1. "Yes, it is contagious for at least one week.". 2. "No, the virus is dormant in your body and is not contagious.". 3. "Yes, but it is past the incubation period once you see it on your skin, so it is no longer contagious.". 4. "No, the virus occurs because of poor hygiene.".

Nursing