A nurse who has worked in a respiratory specialty clinic is transitioning to working in a specialty clinic that provides care to individuals with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). When assessing individuals and teaching them about their disease, which topic would be critical for the nurse to address?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The nurse previously worked in a specialty clinic that provided care to individuals with noncommunicable chronic diseases. Now the nurse is working in a specialty clinic that provides care for a chronic infectious disease, for which transmission is a key topic. Chronic infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis B and C are spread directly or indirectly from one person to another, which distinguishes them from noninfectious chronic diseases that are not spread from individual to individual. This distinction can have an impact on individual education, which may need to include difficult topics such as sexual or lifestyle implications related to transmission. Medications, activity, and smoking cessation may be appropriate topics to address, but the key difference here is addressing topics related to transmission.

A Nurse Who Has Worked in a Respiratory Specialty Clinic