Question 1

The nurse is caring for a patient with mental illness who desires the use of natural products or supplements for the treatment of the disorder. What symbol of safety will the nurse instruct the patient to look for when purchasing these products?

Accepted Answer

3. The symbols GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices), NSF (National Safety Foundation), or USP (United States Pharmacopoeia) on product labels indicate safety of the products. The other answer choices are incorrect.

Question 2

The nurse is caring for a patient who is scheduled to undergo a total knee replacement in two weeks. The nurse notes that the patient takes herbal supplements for the treatment of the patient's mental illness. What is the correct pre-surgical instruction the nurse will provide to the patient?

Accepted Answer

2. The nurse should advise the patient to discontinue the herbal supplements 2 weeks, not 1 week, prior to the surgery. It is incorrect to advise the patient to continue the herbal supplements regardless of the surgery, or to continue the supplements if they do not interfere with the surgery. The nurse must assume that the patient does not know whether the supplements will interfere with the patient's surgery.

Question 3

The nurse is performing an admission assessment on a patient with mental illness. Which question is best when inquiring about the patient's current and past complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use?

Accepted Answer

3. Asking the patient, "What therapy do you participate in?" is an open-ended question that prompts the patient to explain the types of CAM he or she is using. The other questions are appropriate assessment questions; however, they may not elicit information about all the therapies the patient is using.

Question 4

The nurse is performing an admission assessment on a patient with depression. The patient takes a prescription antidepressant and tells the nurse that she also takes herbal supplements. The nurse is unsure of whether the medication and herbal supplements interact with one another. What is the nurse's best action?

Accepted Answer

4. The nurse's best action is to consult the pharmacist about any potential interactions. The pharmacist is considered the expert on medications and herbal supplements. The health care provider and reference texts are not the best resource for this information.

Quiz 22: Complementary and Alternative Therapies

The nurse is caring for a patient with mental illness who desires the use of natural products or supplements for the treatment of the disorder. What symbol of safety will the nurse instruct the patient to look for when purchasing these products?

The nurse is caring for a patient who is scheduled to undergo a total knee replacement in two weeks. The nurse notes that the patient takes herbal supplements for the treatment of the patient's mental illness. What is the correct pre-surgical instruction the nurse will provide to the patient?

The nurse is performing an admission assessment on a patient with mental illness. Which question is best when inquiring about the patient's current and past complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use?