Question 1

The nurse asked by a patient to contrast conventional Western medicine with alternative therapy would correctly respond,"Conventional medicine focuses on curing symptoms,whereas alternative therapy is concerned with:

Accepted Answer

A)   culture-bound illnesses."
B)   building healer prestige."
C)   healing the total person."
D)   the importance of science." C

Question 2

Which health promotion activities address the statistical indicators of a healthy population as stated by Healthy People 2010? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

A)   Promoting a weight loss contest among hospital employees
B)   Conducting a stress reduction seminar for college students
C)   Discussing safe sex practices with older adults at a senior's center
D)   Providing information on cooking for children with allergies to wheat
E)   Organizing a walking group that meets at the mall three times a week A,B,C,E

Question 3

The nurse describes in a balanced and neutral manner traditional medicine options that are available to treat a patient's health problems.The patient thanks the nurse and shares that he prefers to continue treatment with acupuncture and Ayurvedic medicine.The nurse encourages the patient to carefully consider his choices and tells him that the staff is available if needed.The nurse's response demonstrates:

Accepted Answer

A)   Understanding of patient rights
B)   Lack of concern for the patient's well-being
C)   Respect for the patient's health care choices
D)   Inability to confront the patient about his inappropriate health choices C

Question 4

During assessment,the patient tells the nurse that she eats a natural food/high vitamin diet,exercises 30 minutes daily,uses meditation and yoga techniques for stress reduction,and takes prescribed antihypertensive medication.The nurse would assess that number of CAM therapies the patient uses as:

Accepted Answer

A)   Four
B)   Three
C)   Two
D)   One

Question 5

The fundamental belief of nurses that will foster use of a holistic nursing model to promote wellness is which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)   Health care requires a partnership between patients and nurses.
B)   Nurses must monitor environmental influences on patient health.
C)   Wellness promotion centers on health teaching by professional nurses.
D)   The public's awareness of useful alternative therapies must be enhanced.

Question 6

Which statement made by a nurse discussing alternative and conventional therapies supports the holistic philosophy that mind-body interrelationships influence wellness?

Accepted Answer

A)   "The development of lung cancer is strongly influenced by environmental factors."
B)   "Alternative therapy is often less expensive than conventional medical treatment."
C)   "Widowed persons have higher death rates than married people of the same age have."
D)   "Personal values and misconceptions are barriers to use of alternative therapy in the Western world."

Question 7

The nurse planning care for an Asian-American patient who plans to use Oriental medicinal dietary principles will need to understand that hot and cold substances are an integral part of therapy.The substances used are:

Accepted Answer

A)   Served iced or steaming hot
B)   Determined by yin and yang characteristics
C)   Selected by native shamans who divine patient needs
D)   Often disrupt conventional Western medical therapy

Question 8

A patient who experiences panic attacks when he is alone at home has been instructed in the use of meditation techniques.The technique can be evaluated as having proved most useful when the patient explains to a friend that meditation:

Accepted Answer

A)   Is easy to learn
B)   Provides me with a sense of control
C)   Can be implemented at any time and place
D)   Can be mastered by anyone, young or old

Question 9

What nursing activity is directed towards addressing a major goal identified by Healthy People 2010?

Accepted Answer

A)   Monitoring the urinary output of an older postsurgical patient
B)   Educating a pregnant woman about the benefits of breastfeeding
C)   Providing free depression screenings for single, teenage mothers
D)   Providing a patient who has had several teeth extracted with a liquid diet

Question 10

A patient reports little change in her blood pressure even though she has been doing the biofeedback exercises stating that,"The machine has not been successful." The nurse will observe the next session being aware that:

Accepted Answer

A)   There are several different components that need to be mastered in order to achieve successful biofeedback results.
B)   The machine is a critical component of biofeedback during all phases and it's response needs to be monitored by a professional.
C)   A patient's relaxation skills need to be excellent because muscle responses play a large role in determining the success of biofeedback.
D)   The patient's mood and emotional stability affects one's ability to alter physiological results and thus affect positive results from biofeedback.

Question 11

When statement best answers a patient's request for an explanation of how homeopathy works?

Accepted Answer

A)   "It cures by using tiny amounts of known poisons."
B)   "It purges foreign substances from the person's body."
C)   "It controls illness symptoms by using medication."
D)   "It uses substances to stimulate the body to heal itself."

Question 12

Which alternative treatment could the nurse suggest that would be appropriate for the patient whose health-illness beliefs equate illness with bodily imbalance?

Accepted Answer

A)   Naturopathy
B)   Acupuncture
C)   Foot reflexology
D)   Chiropractic adjustment

Question 13

The nurse when entering the room to find a terminally ill child laughing at an old The Three Stooges movie decides to postpone a scheduled treatment.This intervention is based on the knowledge that humor:

Accepted Answer

A)   Has been shown to have a positive effect on patients and staff alike
B)   Can foster positive changes on several physiological systems and functions
C)   Allows the patient to implement therapeutic denial to best manage the situation
D)   May help the very young who are unaware of the seriousness of their situations

Question 14

The nurse is planning care for an anxious patient receiving antidepressant medication.Which alternative therapy could the nurse incorporate in the care plan without being concerned about untoward interactions?

Accepted Answer

A)   St. John's wort
B)   Homeopathy
C)   Ginseng
D)   Yoga

Question 15

When a patient asks for an example of an alternative or complementary therapy,the nurse would correctly identify:

Accepted Answer

A)   ECT
B)   Acupuncture
C)   Response prevention
D)   Classic conditioning

Question 16

A patient experiencing symptoms of mild depression would prefer to take a "natural" substance instead of a prescription antidepressant.The herbal preparation that could be suggested for its antidepressant effects is:

Accepted Answer

A)   Valerian
B)   Echinacea
C)   Saw palmetto
D)   St. John's wort

Question 17

A desired outcome for a patient who uses ginkgo biloba for improved cerebral circulation would be that the patient will:

Accepted Answer

A)   Experience elevated mood.
B)   Recall information accurately.
C)   Remain relaxed under stress.
D)   Eat smaller helpings at meals.

Question 18

Which nursing response best describes alternative therapies to a patient?

Accepted Answer

A)   They are not widely used in hospitals or reimbursed by insurance.
B)   They are often considered quackery and of little real value to those who use them.
C)   They are widely researched and can take their place with allopathic medicine.
D)   They are more effective if used as preventive measures than if used for cure.

Question 19

Which point should the nurse include when teaching about concurrent use of alternative and prescription medicines?

Accepted Answer

A)   Health care providers need to know when the patient is using both.
B)   Health care provider cultural incompetence on this topic is relatively high.
C)   Most nursing actions are consciously directed towards fulfilling holistic goals.
D)   It is usually dangerous to combine these two types of patient-focused therapies.

Question 20

An impact the popularity of alternative therapy has on the nursing application of therapeutic interventions is that nurses:

Accepted Answer

A)   Must be taught such intervention techniques
B)   Need to possess understanding of herb-drug interactions
C)   Will need in-depth courses to effectively use bio-electromagnetics
D)   Will adopt the approach of regularly using more manual healing methods

Exam 27: Complementary and Alternative Therapies