Question 1

Which of the following complementary and alternative modalities may be considered alternative medical systems? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

Acupuncture and ayurveda are considered alternative medical systems.Prayer is a mind-body intervention,and aromatherapy is a biologically based therapy.

Question 2

A client wishes to avoid taking blood pressure medications.He is watching his diet and exercising.In addition,a CAM therapist has recommended an alternative therapy that will allow him to learn voluntary control over his blood pressure.What type of therapy is the therapist probably recommending?

Accepted Answer

Biofeedback is a technique by which people learn voluntary control over typically involuntary activities.Homeopathy is based on an understanding of how the body heals itself and an acceptance that all symptoms represent the body's attempt to restore itself to health.Naturopathy is the belief that nature and each living being have the innate ability to establish,maintain,and restore health.Hypnosis is a trancelike state characterized by relaxed brain waves,hypersuggestibility,and heightened imagination.Hypnosis has been used to promote relaxation,weight loss,and smoking cessation and to suppress various symptoms.

Question 3

The concept of holism focuses on which of the following?

Accepted Answer

The concept of holism focuses on the relationships among all living things.

Question 4

An elderly client with a history of COPD is having difficulty sleeping and does not wish to see a medical practitioner.Which of the following strategies should the nurse discourage the client from using,or urge him to see a physician before beginning the therapy? The client has not used any of these therapies in the past.Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

Aromatherapy is known to be safe,and may be effective.Tai chi is safe for older adults,and may be effective for sleep.Yoga is possibly effective for sleep,but it is physically rigorous,so it has the potential to be harmful for older adults,who may have a variety of chronic conditions.The client should see a physician before beginning yoga.Melatonin is effective for certain sleep disorders,but it does interact with several prescription drugs.Therefore,the client should not take melatonin without consulting a physician.

Question 5

A woman is receiving physical therapy after surgery to repair a hip fracture.She tells the therapist before therapy begins that she expects therapy to be very painful.She rates her pain as 1 on a scale of 1 to 10 before therapy.Three minutes into the treatment session,the patient complains of excruciating pain rated as 10 and says she cannot tolerate exercise any longer.The therapist is concerned with the amount of pain,because severe pain is not expected during that form of exercise.The therapist considers the patient could be experiencing:

Accepted Answer

The nocebo effect is a demonstration of the power of the mind to create bodily distress.The patient was expecting the treatment to be very painful,and this tends to increase the treatment discomfort.Phantom limb pain is sometimes experienced after an amputation but has nothing to do with surgery to repair a hip fracture.There is no evidence that the patient's pain medication is ineffective or that she is experiencing a complication from surgery.

Question 6

A patient has been taking herbal remedies to decrease blood pressure.The patient is convinced that this has reduced his blood pressure and he refuses to take a prescribed antihypertensive medication.The nurse checks his blood pressure reading during an office visit,with the following results: Left arm: 130/94,140/86,and 160/90 mm Hg.With this information,what is the nurse's best response to the patient's refusal to take antihypertensive medications?

Accepted Answer

The nurse identifies that these blood pressure readings are elevated and correctly suggests the discussion with the physician.The nurse is not the person to determine potential therapies for the patient.The nurse cannot tell the patient he is correct and does not have hypertension because his vital signs do not support that.The patient's blood pressure is not within normal limits.

Question 7

The nurse in a women's health clinic,educates patients about the benefits of probiotic therapy.Today,the nurse is working with a patient complaining of recurrent vaginal yeast infections.The patient's laboratory tests confirm Candida albicans.Which statement helps the nurse to determine that the patient needs more teaching regarding probiotic therapy?

Accepted Answer

Eating yogurt does not eliminate yeast infections permanently or completely take away the potential for them to occur.Eating a probiotic,such as yogurt,can reduce vaginal yeast infections if eaten on a regular basis by establishing and supporting healthy body flora.Probiotics are most helpful when the bacteria are live and of a sufficient number to reestablish healthy amounts of flora.The statement that probiotics will prevent future infections is false,so the patient requires teaching on this point.

Question 8

Which of the following are reasons for the popularity of biologically based therapies,such as dietary supplements and herbal products? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

Biologically based therapies use substances found in nature,such as food,herbs,vitamins,and scents used in aromatherapy.These therapies are readily available and are often practiced as self-care measures,so people who do not wish to see a practitioner may not need to do so.The U.S.Food and Drug Administration (FDA)regulates biologically based therapies and is developing guidelines for good manufacturing practices (GMPs).However,dosage and manufacturing processes are not standardized.The Federal Trade Commission monitors dietary supplements for truth in advertising.At present,it is difficult to know what dosage you are obtaining from a product,and safety cannot always be guaranteed.

Question 9

The nurse is caring for a patient who after removal of a tumor had radiation therapy.The patient,without consulting his primary provider,added nutritional therapy and the use of acupuncture.The treatments chosen by the patient are examples of what type of treatments?

Accepted Answer

Complementary modalities (i.e.,nutritional therapy and acupuncture)are used in conjunction with traditional medical care (the radiation treatments).Alternative modalities are used instead of conventional medical therapies.Integrative modalities are therapies that are proved to be effective and safe when combined with or integrated into conventional therapies.Conventional biomedical therapies include radiation therapy.

Question 10

The health clinic nurse is interviewing a new patient.The nurse asks questions about the patient's self-care and about his healthcare providers.Which statement is likely to yield the most information from the patient regarding the use of CAM?

Accepted Answer

For therapeutic questioning,the nurse should use open-ended questions to yield the most information.The question ending in "Do you use both?" is a yes/no question that will likely elicit very little information.Although the option ending in "Tell me about the practitioners you see for healthcare," seems open ended,the negative use of "only" ("only go to a medical physician")implies that there is not another acceptable answer,thus decreasing the information the patient may share."You don't use CAM,do you?" is a negative,closed question.It suggests that the patient should answer "No," and almost certainly will elicit a one-word answer.

Question 11

The health and well-being of a holistic nurse in relation to helping patients constitute an important part of the healing process.A method that would be helpful to nurses in fostering their own health and the health of their patients is:

Accepted Answer

A holistic nurse role models healthy behaviors for her patients.Practically speaking,a holistic nurse understands that unless her own health is balanced,it is difficult to sustain the energy necessary to be a constructive presence and an effective practitioner.Stress evokes negative physiological responses in the body,which could lead to illness.Working in isolation does not allow one to gain the perspectives and insights of others in a commonly shared experience.

Question 12

A client has a diagnosis of chronic pain.The physician has prescribed tramadol hydrochloride (Ultram)for the pain.The patient also receives therapeutic touch (TT)from a practitioner three times a week.In this situation,TT is considered to be which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A complementary modality is one that is used alongside traditional medical care.The patient receives prescription medication from a physician and also receives TT.An alternative modality is one that is used instead of traditional medical care.A placebo response is the client's expectation that a treatment will be effective.Holistic healthcare uses the concept of holism to focus on the relationships among all living things.

Question 13

A patient is receiving healthcare focused on his illness and counteracting his symptoms.What type of healthcare is he receiving?

Accepted Answer

Allopathic care is conventional medical care focused on counteracting symptoms.Holistic healthcare uses the concept of holism to focus on the relationships among all living things.Integrative healthcare encompasses all traditional and alternative health practices used by a patient.Complementary healthcare is alternative care used in conjunction with traditional medical care.

Question 14

Herbal products are very popular worldwide for prevention and treatment of illness.As a nurse you should:

Accepted Answer

Because herbal products are readily available and widely used,you should learn about herbal products and include them in questions when taking a patient's history.The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)offers extensive material on herbal products for professionals and consumers.Advise patients to purchase herbs from a reliable source and seek advice from credentialed practitioners when incorporating herbs into their care.

Question 15

The nurse is caring for a patient,who recently emigrated from India.The patient states the reason for the visit is for a well-patient visit.While taking the patient's history,the nurse ascertains that the patient is using ayurvedic herbal remedies.Which statement below assists the nurse to determine whether the patient understands the pros and cons of these herbal remedies?

Accepted Answer

Ayuvedic herbal remedies are frequently combined with metals that can be harmful to the patient.Purchasing them from an unregulated shop or Web site increases the chances of there being higher levels of toxic metals in the herbal mixtures.Therefore,the patient should purchase these herbal remedies only from an FDA-approved Web site source.Also,because the patient believes there is no problem with taking these unregulated remedies,the nurse must educate him about the potential issues with this.

Question 16

A client tells the nurse that he is having difficulty sleeping.He says,"I don't want to use sleeping pills,but I'm thinking about getting some melatonin." Which of the following is most important for the nurse to include in a response to the client?

Accepted Answer

All of the statements are true about melatonin; however,side effects are rare.It is most important to consult the primary care provider because melatonin is known to interact with other medications,including prescription medications.Therefore,the client should talk with the provider about this possibility.

Question 17

The nurse is caring for a patient with severe,chronic headaches.According to a recent medical work-up,there "is no definitive physiological reason for these headaches." The nurse counsels the patient about alternative therapies for headaches,knowing that:

Accepted Answer

Acupuncture has been shown to more effectively relieve chronic headaches than medications.Homeopathic medicine is person specific and not disease/symptom specific-that is,it cannot be said that it affects headaches in a specific way.Western medicine does have other alternative treatments for severe and chronic headache management (e.g.,biofeedback,botulinum toxin).There is palliative care for chronic headaches to manage the process rather than effecting a "cure."

Question 18

Through the use of the nursing process,holistic healthcare implemented by nurses includes which of the stated activities? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

Holistic healthcare includes illness prevention,not accentuation,along with health education,health promotion,health maintenance,and restorative rehabilitative care.

Question 19

The nurse understands that CAM therapies are popular with many patients.What is the most important thing for the nurse to know regarding safe use of CAM therapies? CAM therapies

Accepted Answer

Patients may use CAM therapies even if there is no accurate evidence on which to base their effectiveness or safety.Therefore,the nurse needs to look at empirical research to guide the nurse,patient,and healthcare provider in using these therapies.The other responses negate the importance of research data in the use of CAM,although they do suggest issues that can improve the effectiveness of any therapy (i.e.,cultural sensitivity,the patient wants to use them).

Question 20

Which of the following beliefs is an essential component of holistic healthcare? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

Foundational beliefs of holistic care include the following: illness reflects a shift in balance,all healing is self-healing,and illness creates an opportunity for growth.Although holistic healthcare includes the use of alternative modalities,it does not emphasize the use of healthcare resources (money,time,etc.)for alternative healers.

Quiz 46: Holistic Healing