Question 1

A nurse is caring for a 34-week multiparous patient. The patient asks the nurse about taking some new herb she has heard about that will make her labor easier. The correct response from the nurse would be:

Accepted Answer

A)  "It sounds fine to me. Go ahead and start taking it so it will be helping you by the time you go into labor." 
B)  "You need to talk to the doctor to determine whether it is safe for you to take." 
C)  "Look it up on the Internet and see what it says about it, as I have never heard of it." 
D)  "You would probably not want to start taking the herb until closer to your time to go into labor."

Question 2

The patient reports to the nurse that she is utilizing ayurvedic medicine. Which statements would the nurse expect this patient to make? "Aryurvedic medicine:

Accepted Answer

A)  "Is knowledge of how to live a vital, healthful life." 
B)  "Combines heat and cold with spinal manipulation." 
C)  "Uses both traditional means and current modern medicine." 
D)  "Cures an illness with a like substance." 
E)  "Seeks balance to achieve harmony in my life."

Question 3

A nursing instructor has been teaching the clinical students the difference between complementary and alternative therapies. Which statement, if made by a student, would indicate that teaching has been successful?

Accepted Answer

A)  "A complementary therapy may be defined as any procedure or product that is used instead of conventional treatment." 
B)  "An alternative therapy is used in conjunction with conventional medicine." 
C)  "Because alternative therapies are used in place of medically prescribed treatments, patients might be reluctant to discuss them with a conventional physician." 
D)  "Integrative nursing combines mainstream medical therapies with alternative therapies."

Question 4

The nurse is admitting a patient in labor who states that she is a naturopath. The nurse understands that this patient believes:

Accepted Answer

A)  An initial worsening of symptoms after treatment means the correct remedy has been used. 
B)  There are five elements that take form in the body. 
C)  She must nurture herself and be responsible for her own body. 
D)  That her pregnancy is a kapha condition. 
E)  She must nurture herself and be responsible for her own body

Question 5

Based on an understanding of how patients learn about complementary and alternative therapies, the nurse realizes that which of the following patients are most likely to use complementary or alternative therapy?

Accepted Answer

A)  An elderly couple on a fixed income without a computer at home 
B)  A middle-aged woman who travels internationally for her job 
C)  An adolescent male who plays many sports through school 
D)  A young mother of preschoolers who uses the Internet daily 
E)  A middle-aged man who has never married and rarely travels

Question 6

The nurse is sitting with a patient in labor who practices meditation. The nurse understands from this that:

Accepted Answer

A)  The patient is very religious, and is practicing her religion. 
B)  The patient tries to let all thoughts fade away and listen receptively in a state of not knowing. 
C)  The patient is in a state of intense, focused concentration used to create compelling mental images. 
D)  The patient relaxes and focuses on a positive or soothing scene.

Question 7

A Hindu patient being admitted to the hospital practices ayurveda. The nurse knows that which piece of information is true about this practice?

Accepted Answer

A)  Ayurveda is a new system of Hindu medicine. 
B)  Ayurveda is the knowledge of how to live a vital, healthful life. 
C)  Ayurveda physicians believe that there are three elements: ether, wind, and fire. 
D)  The three tendencies, called doshas, are vata, pitta, and alpha.

Question 8

The nurse is teaching a class to the community on mind-body therapies. A class participant gives an example of a friend with leukemia who was taught by her complementary therapist to concentrate on making antibodies that will fight and kill the cancer cells in the bloodstream. The nurse would describe this technique as:

Accepted Answer

A)  Guided imagery. 
B)  Qigong. 
C)  Biofeedback. 
D)  Homeopathy.

Question 9

The nurse who is working with patients using complementary or alternative medicine is aware that the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine is responsible for:

Accepted Answer

A)  Ensuring the safety of complementary and alternative therapies. 
B)  Endorsing products for further approval by the FDA. 
C)  Testing new therapies and products. 
D)  Promoting research on complementary and alternative therapies and disseminating information to consumers.

Question 10

The patient in the first trimester of pregnancy tells the nurse she regularly sees a massage therapist to help with pain in her shoulders and neck. The nurse tells her that massage has the added advantage of:

Accepted Answer

A)  Improving immune function. 
B)  Reducing anxiety. 
C)  Promoting sleep. 
D)  Eliminating energy blockages. 
E)  Allowing coordination of breathing and moving.

Question 11

The nurse working in an obstetrical clinic has been trained in the science of Therapeutic Touch, which she uses to help patients having pain, especially in the shoulders and back. Therapeutic Touch is based on the belief that:

Accepted Answer

A)  There needs to be balance in the patient's energy fields. 
B)  Pressure is used on certain areas to relieve pain in other areas. 
C)  The practitioner can modulate his own energy field with that of the patient to relieve pain or anxiety. 
D)  It can be used as an alternative therapy.

Question 12

The patient reports using an alternative therapy that involves the manipulation of soft tissues. This therapy has reduced the patient's stress, diminished pain, and increased circulation. This therapy is most likely:

Accepted Answer

A)  Guided imagery. 
B)  Homeopathy. 
C)  Massage therapy. 
D)  Reflexology.

Question 13

The nurse is examining a patient in her third trimester of pregnancy. The patient's weight gain has been within normal limits, she has no swelling of her feet, and she states that she feels great. She states that she has been doing yoga 5 days a week ever since she got pregnant. The nurse understands from this that:

Accepted Answer

A)  The patient has continued her regular prepregnant exercise of walking 5 miles a day. 
B)  The patient has been doing hydrotherapy baths or using a hot tub. 
C)  The patient has been bicycling on the trails. 
D)  The patient has been doing a series of gentle stretches and postures coordinated with deep breathing.

Question 14

The nurse is teaching a community education class on complementary and alternative therapies. To assess learning, the nurse asks, "In traditional Chinese medicine, what is the invisible flow of energy in the body that maintains health and ensures physiologic functioning?" Which answer indicates teaching was successful?

Accepted Answer

A)  Meridians 
B)  Chi 
C)  Yin 
D)  Yang

Question 15

The nurse is seeing a patient for the first time who says she became pregnant using in vitro fertilization. The patient explains that she had had previous attempts were not successful, but this time she also used a Chinese therapy along with the in vitro procedure to help with the positive development of a pregnancy. The nurse knows the Chinese therapy used was:

Accepted Answer

A)  Therapeutic touch. 
B)  Acupressure. 
C)  Acupuncture. 
D)  Dietary supplements.

Exam 3: Complementary and Alternative Therapies