A nurse is engaged in teaching a patient with low health literacy. Which statement would be most appropriate? Select all that apply
A) "Your test results are all negative."
B) "Your doctor wants you to take this analgesic."
C) "This medication will help your tumor get smaller."
D) "You should take this pain killer when you start to hurt."
E) "This cream is for the lesion on your arm."
Ans: C, D
Feedback:
When teaching a patient with limited health literacy, use simple and clear language. People who are highly literate can have problems understanding language used in health care. The word "negative" is a positive finding when discussing an infection or cancer. This can be confusing to those who use negative in a different context. The nurse should avoid medical terms and instead use everyday language, for example, saying "pain killer" instead of "analgesic" when talking to patients. Other examples include "wound" instead of "lesion" or "tumor" instead of "carcinoma."
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