Deck 5: Alternative and Complementary Therapies

Question 1

The nurse is assisting a patient to use guided imagery. Which disorder is most likely to respond to use of guided imagery as a complementary therapy?

A)Gallstones
B)Hypertension
C)Diabetes mellitus
D)Hyperthyroidism

Answer 1

Hypertension

Question 2

Which of the following herbs might be used to help a patient receiving chemotherapy who is experiencing poor appetite, nausea, and vomiting? (Select all that apply.?

A)Ginger
B)Ginkgo
C)Echinacea
D)Kava
E)Feverfew
F)Chamomile

Answer 2

Ginger
Feverfew
Chamomile

Question 3

The nurse is caring for a patient with advanced cancer who has decided to discontinue chemotherapy treatment and try an alternative therapy that has not been proved effective. The nurse, whose mother recently died of the same type of cancer, strongly disagrees with the patient's choice. The patient asks the nurse's opinion about the therapy. Which response is best?

A)"I'm sorry, but I don't feel prepared to answer your question. I would prefer you ask your physician that question."
B)"My mother died recently with the same type of cancer you have. I would be very careful before stopping the therapy."
C)"As a nurse, I am obligated to encourage you to seek the best treatment possible. I cannot in good conscience advise you to have the alternative treatment."
D)"Because your disease is so advanced and traditional treatments have failed, I think trying the alternative treatment can do no harm."

Answer 3

"I'm sorry, but I don't feel prepared to answer your question. I would prefer you ask your physician that question."

Question 4

A patient is receiving acupuncture therapy in addition to analgesics for chronic pain. Which type of therapy does this represent?

A)Alternative therapy
B)Complementary therapy
C)Unconventional therapy
D)Mainstream therapy

Question 5

Which of the following are considered mind-body therapies? (Select all that apply.?

A)Art therapy
B)Meditation and relaxation
C)Yoga
D)Guided imagery
E)Tai chi
F)Music therapy

Question 6

Which definition best describes the goal of chiropractic medicine?

A)To maintain the health of people by keeping them in balance with nature
B)To relieve symptoms by administering tiny doses of substances that create symptoms of disease in a healthy person
C)To remove interference with nerve function so the body can heal itself
D)To promote healing and prevent illness through the use of nutrition, botanical medicine, and hydrotherapy

Question 7

Which of the following steps are recommended for a patient who is evaluating whether to try an alternative therapy? (Select all that apply.?

A)Check the background and qualifications of the alternative practitioner.
B)Look at the conditions of the alternative practitioner's practice setting.
C)Talk about the therapy with the primary care practitioner.
D)Talk with others who have used the therapy.
E)Find out the costs of the therapy.
F)Call the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for additional information.

Question 8

Which of the following alternative/complementary therapies are considered energetic therapies? (Select all that apply.?

A)Reiki
B)Magnet therapy
C)Guided imagery
D)Biofeedback
E)Therapeutic touch
F)Yoga

Question 9

A patient scheduled for spinal surgery the following day lists ginkgo and ginger on a home medication assessment. What is the most important response from the LPN?

A)"For what effects do you take the herbs?"
B)"Have you told your surgeon that you take these herbs?"
C)"How many times per day do you take each herb?"
D)"What dose of each herb do you take?"

Question 10

Which of the following rituals and practices are associated with American Indian medicine? (Select all that apply.?

A)Spinal manipulation
B)The medicine wheel
C)The sweat lodge
D)Aquatherapy
E)Acupuncture
F)Herbal remedies

Question 11

The nurse learns that a patient plans to try St. John's wort for depression. Which response by the nurse is best?

A)"Some people believe it can be helpful for depression. Because it is an herb, it would be safe to try it."
B)"St. John's wort has been shown in research to be safe and effective for treating depression. Be sure to follow the package instructions."
C)"Herbs are medicines. You should not try anything without first consulting your primary care provider."
D)"Herbs can be dangerous. You should avoid taking them while you are on other medications because interactions could occur."

Question 12

What system of medicine treats disturbances of qi, or vital energy?

A)Ayurvedic medicine
B)Traditional Chinese medicine
C)Naturopathic medicine
D)American Indian medicine

Question 13

A patient is using guided imagery to avoid analgesics during her labor and delivery. Which type of therapy is this?

A)Alternative therapy
B)Complementary therapy
C)Adjunct therapy
D)Mainstream therapy

Question 14

While working in a cancer clinic, the nurse recognizes which of the following patients are using a complementary therapy? (Select all that apply.?

A)A 52-year-old with colon cancer stops chemotherapy and goes to Mexico for shark cartilage therapy.
B)A 17-year-old with sarcoma practices relaxation and imagery during radiation therapy.
C)A 74-year-old with leukemia uses self-hypnosis prior to a bone marrow biopsy.
D)A 41-year-old with breast cancer chooses to have radiation therapy instead of a mastectomy.
E)A 64-year-old with lung cancer wears oxygen at night.
F)A 66-year-old with lymphoma uses headphones to listen to music during chemotherapy.

Question 15

A patient wants to try acupressure techniques in addition to conventional treatment for headaches and asks, "What is so good about Western medicine anyway?" Which response by the nurse is best?

A)"Western medicine is based on research, which means treatments are more likely to have consistent results."
B)"Western medicine uses natural remedies that are less likely to cause long-term side effects."
C)"Western medicine has fewer regulations and restrictions, so practitioners are able to choose the best treatments for you."
D)"Western medicine is based primarily on nutrition and exercise therapies that are safer than potentially toxic medications."

Question 16

Which definition best describes the allopathic system or philosophy of health care?

A)A system that holds that disease is a result of nerve dysfunction
B)A system that uses tiny doses of a substance which create the symptoms of disease in a healthy person to relieve those symptoms in a sick person
C)A method of treating disease with remedies that produce effects different from those caused by the disease
D)A system that maintains that illness is the result of falling out of balance with nature

Question 17

Which of the following herbs may lessen the symptoms of colds and other viral infections? (Select all that apply.?

A)Ginkgo
B)Chamomile
C)Feverfew
D)Echinacea
E)Bee pollen
F)St. John's wort

Question 18

What type of therapy is most likely to use research-based interventions?

A)Naturopathy
B)Osteopathy
C)Allopathy
D)Homeopathy
Multiple Response
Identify one or more choices that best complete the statement or answer the question.

Question 19

Which term is used to describe traditional medicine in the United States?

A)Ayurveda
B)Osteopathy
C)Chiropractic
D)Allopathy

Question 20

Which of the following modalities would be appropriate in the treatment of arthritis pain? (Select all that apply.?

A)Aloe vera
B)Capsaicin
C)Aquatherapy
D)Chamomile
E)Biofeedback
F)Echinacea

Question 21

The nurse is caring for a patient with an elevated platelet count who is to begin antiplatelet therapy. Which of the following, if taken by the patient, would concern the nurse? (Select all that apply.?

A)Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
B)St. John's wort
C)Ginseng
D)Vitamin C
E)Garlic
F)Gingko
Completion
Complete each statement.

Question 22

A group of naturally occurring, internally generated, pain-relieving chemicals is called ____________________.