An older client who experienced a cerebrovascular accident (CVA) has difficulty with visual perception and eats only half of the food on the meal tray. The client's family expresses concern about the client's nutritional status. How should the nurse respond to the family's concern?
Demonstrate the use of visual scanning during meals to the client and family.
Explain that weight loss will be reversed after the acute phase of the stroke has ended.
Suggest that the family bring foods from home that the client enjoys eating.
Encourage the family to offer to feed the client when she does not eat her entire meal.
The Correct Answer is A
Choice A reason: Demonstrating the use of visual scanning during meals can help the client overcome the difficulty with visual perception, which is a common problem after a CVA. Visual perception is the ability to interpret and process the information received from the eyes. A CVA can damage the parts of the brain that are responsible for visual perception, causing impairments such as hemianopia, neglect, or agnosia. Visual scanning is a technique that involves moving the eyes or the head from side to side to scan the entire visual field and compensate for the missing or distorted information. Visual scanning can help the client see all the food on the tray and eat more adequately.
Choice B reason: Explaining that weight loss will be reversed after the acute phase of the stroke has ended is not a helpful response to the family's concern, as it does not address the current issue of the client's nutritional status. Weight loss is a common complication of CVA, due to factors such as dysphagia, anorexia, depression, or medication side effects. Weight loss can affect the client's recovery, immunity, and quality of life. Weight loss may or may not be reversed after the acute phase of the stroke, depending on the client's condition, treatment, and rehabilitation.
Choice C reason: Suggesting that the family bring foods from home that the client enjoys eating is not a sufficient response to the family's concern, as it does not address the underlying cause of the client's poor intake. The client's difficulty with visual perception may prevent her from seeing or recognizing the food, regardless of whether it is from the hospital or from home. The family should also consider the client's dietary restrictions, allergies, and preferences before bringing any food from home.
Choice D reason: Encouraging the family to offer to feed the client when she does not eat her entire meal is not an appropriate response to the family's concern, as it may undermine the client's autonomy and dignity. The client's difficulty with visual perception may not affect her ability to feed herself, as long as she can see the food and the utensils. The family should respect the client's independence and self-care, and only assist her when necessary. The family should also avoid forcing or coaxing the client to eat more than she wants, as this may cause discomfort or resentment.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
Choice A reason: Joint pain is a common symptom of SLE, which is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and damage to various organs and tissues. Joint pain can be managed with anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics, and corticosteroids. Joint pain is not a life-threatening finding that requires immediate attention from the health care provider.
Choice B reason: Hematuria is the presence of blood in the urine, which can indicate kidney damage or failure. Kidney involvement is one of the most serious complications of SLE, which can lead to end-stage renal disease and require dialysis or transplantation. Hematuria is a critical finding that requires prompt intervention and treatment from the health care provider.
Choice C reason: Low grade fever is another common symptom of SLE, which can be caused by infection, inflammation, or medication side effects. Low grade fever can be treated with antipyretics, fluids, and antibiotics if needed. Low grade fever is not a life-threatening finding that requires immediate attention from the health care provider.
Choice D reason: Muscle atrophy is the loss of muscle mass and strength, which can occur due to inactivity, malnutrition, or steroid use. Muscle atrophy can be prevented or reversed with exercise, nutrition, and physiotherapy. Muscle atrophy is not a life-threatening finding that requires immediate attention from the health care provider.
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
Choice A reason: Administering analgesics on a fixed and continuous schedule is the most important intervention that the nurse should include in this client’s plan of care, because it can provide consistent and adequate pain relief for the client with metastatic cancer, who is likely to have chronic and severe pain. The nurse should follow the principles of cancer pain management, such as using the WHO analgesic ladder, titrating the dose according to the pain intensity, and using a multimodal approach that combines opioids, non-opioids, and adjuvants.
Choice B reason: Frequently evaluating the client’s pain is an important intervention that the nurse should include in this client’s plan of care, but it is not the most important one. Evaluating the client’s pain can help the nurse to assess the effectiveness of the analgesics, identify the characteristics and causes of the pain, and adjust the pain management plan accordingly. However, evaluating the pain alone is not enough to provide pain relief, and the nurse should also implement the appropriate interventions based on the evaluation.
Choice C reason: Replacing transdermal analgesic patches every 72 hours is not a relevant intervention that the nurse should include in this client’s plan of care, because it is not applicable to the client’s situation. Transdermal analgesic patches are a form of opioid delivery that can provide long-lasting pain relief, but they are not suitable for acute or breakthrough pain, and they have a delayed onset of action. The client in this scenario is receiving IV analgesics, which have a faster onset and shorter duration of action, and are more appropriate for acute or breakthrough pain.
Choice D reason: Monitoring the client for break-through pain is an important intervention that the nurse should include in this client’s plan of care, but it is not the most important one. Break-through pain is a sudden and transient increase in pain that occurs despite the use of regular analgesics, and it can be caused by various factors, such as movement, infection, or tumor progression. The nurse should monitor the client for break-through pain and administer rescue doses of analgesics as needed. However, monitoring the client for break-through pain is not enough to prevent or treat the pain, and the nurse should also administer analgesics on a fixed and continuous schedule to maintain a steady level of pain relief.
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