A nurse is educating a patient who has long-term symptoms of GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). Which of the following statements should the nurse include in the educational materials?

Choice A rationale
A stool guaiac test is a simple check to find blood in your stool. It involves smearing a tiny amount of your stool on a special card, which is then tested for hidden blood. This test helps detect problems like bleeding ulcers or colon cancer in an early stage when they might not show other symptoms. The stool guaiac test looks for hidden (occult) blood in a stool sample. It can find blood even if you cannot see it yourself. It is a common type of fecal occult blood test (FOBT). Guaiac is a substance from a plant that is used to coat the FOBT test cards to make them able to detect blood.
Choice B rationale
Steatorrhea refers to the presence of excess fat in the stool. While this can be a symptom of various digestive disorders, it is not what a stool guaiac test is designed to detect. The primary purpose of a stool guaiac test is to identify hidden blood in the stool, which can be an indicator of conditions such as gastrointestinal bleeding or colon cancer.
Choice C rationale
While bacteria can be present in the stool and certain tests are designed to detect them, a stool guaiac test is not one of these. The stool guaiac test is specifically designed to detect the presence of hidden blood in the stool. The presence of blood can indicate a variety of conditions, including gastrointestinal bleeding or colon cancer.
Choice D rationale
Yeast can be present in the stool, and certain tests can detect it. However, a stool guaiac test is not designed to detect yeast. The primary purpose of a stool guaiac test is to identify hidden

blood in the stool, which can be an indicator of conditions such as gastrointestinal bleeding or colon cancer.

Choice A rationale
Asking why the patient thinks the copper helps with their arthritis might seem like a good way to understand their beliefs, but it could come off as challenging or dismissive.
Choice B rationale
Acknowledging that the patient feels better wearing the bracelet is a respectful response. It validates the patient’s experience without endorsing the effectiveness of copper bracelets, which lack scientific evidence for treating arthritis.
Choice C rationale

This response could be seen as dismissive of the patient’s beliefs and experiences. It’s important to respect patients’ choices in managing their symptoms, as long as those choices aren’t harmful.
Choice D rationale
While it’s true that there’s no scientific basis for believing objects have powers to make you feel better, saying this could come off as dismissive or disrespectful.