A 23-year-old patient in the clinic appears anxious. Her speech is rapid, and she is fidgety and in constant motion. Which of these questions or statements would be most appropriate for the nurse to use in this situation to assess attention span?
a. "How do you usually feel? Is this normal behavior for you?"
b. "I am going to say four words. In a few minutes, I will ask you to recall them."
c. "Describe the meaning of the phrase, 'Looking through rose-colored glasses.'"
d. "Pick up the pencil in your left hand, move it to your right hand, and place it on the table."
ANS: D
Attention span is evaluated by assessing the individual's ability to concentrate and complete a thought or task without wandering. Giving a series of directions to follow is one method used to assess attention span.
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Although used for many years by various cultures, the effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies has only recently been of interest
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The active stage of labour is typically characterised by:
a. uterine contractions lasting 30 seconds, moderate and 3–10-minutely. b. uterine contractions lasting 20 seconds, mild and 2-minutely. c. descent of fetal head, vaginal mucous discharge, clear fluid gush. d. descent of fetal head, cervical dilatation, clear fluid gush.
A patient has sustained a burn injury. Which nursing intervention is of the highest priority at this time?
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