The nurse administers medications to a culturally diverse group of patients on a psychiatric unit. What expectation should the nurse have about pharmacokinetics?
a. Patients of different cultural groups may metabolize medications at different rates.
b. Metabolism of psychotropic medication is consistent among various cultural groups.
c. Differences in hepatic enzymes will influence the rate of elimination of psychotropic medications.
d. It is important to provide patients with oral and written literature about their psychotropic medications.
ANS: A
Cytochrome enzyme systems, which vary among different cultural groups, influence the rate of metabolism of psychoactive drugs. Renal function influences elimination of psychotropic medication; hepatic function influences metabolism rates. Information about medication is important but does not apply to pharmacokinetics.
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A physician asks a nurse to witness a consent form the patient has already signed, even though the nurse did not see the patient sign the form. The best action by the nurse is to
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The nurse has completed a community presentation about the changes of pregnancy. Which statement by a community member indicates that learning has occurred? "One probable or objective change of pregnancy is:
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Which statement made by a psychiatric community nurse reflects a need for further education regarding Medicare criteria for home health reimbursement for mental health services?
a. "Medicare policies have limited the growth of psychiatric home care programs.". b. "Medicare requires that the patient be incapable of independently accessing psychiatric follow-up care.". c. "A patient may be considered psychiatrically homebound by Medicare if 24-hour supervision is required.". d. "A patient must be diagnosed with a persistent mental illness before Medicare will reimburse for home services.".
A patient who has recently lost a spouse calls the crisis line and reports suicidal ideations that involve jumping off a bridge over the river when no one is around. What level of lethality would a nurse assess for this plan?
a. Low b. Moderate c. High d. Lethality cannot be determined from this data.