Deck 22: Complementary and Alternative Therapies

Question 1

The nurse is caring for an individual who has been diagnosed with depression. The patient tells the nurse that, in addition to prescription antidepressants, the patient is practicing yoga and meditation. What type of CAM is the patient using?

A) Allopathic medicine
B) Integrative medicine
C) Alternative medicine
D) Complementary medicine

Answer 1

Integrative medicine

Question 2

The nurse is caring for a patient with mental illness who expresses an interest in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). When explaining the principles behind integrative medicine, what will the nurse tell the patient?

A) "Integrative medicine uses CAM as experimental treatment for conditions which are unknown."
B) "Integrative medicine uses CAM in place of conventional medicine."
C) "Integrative medicine combines both conventional and CAM treatments for which there is high-quality scientific evidence of safety and effectiveness."
D) "Integrative medicine uses CAM in conjunction with conventional medicine."

Answer 2

"Integrative medicine combines both conventional and CAM treatments for which there is high-quality scientific evidence of safety and effectiveness."

Question 3

A patient is taking fluoxetine (Prozac) and wonders if adding St. John's wort would help the patient's depression symptoms. The nurse provides the patient with information regarding which adverse effect that occurs when taking fluoxetine and St. John's wort in combination?

A) Gastrointestinal distress
B) Increased depressive symptoms
C) Mania
D) Serotonin syndrome

Answer 3

Serotonin syndrome

Question 4

The nurse is caring for a patient with mental illness who expresses a desire to learn more about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). What will the nurse tell the patient about the difference between osteopathic and naturopathic medicine?

A) "Osteopathy is a hands-on therapy that focuses on the health and function of the spine and other body structures and their effect on health; naturopathy stimulates the body's ability to heal itself by giving very small doses of highly diluted substances that, in larger doses, would produce symptoms or illness."
B) "Osteopathy aims to support the body's inherent ability to maintain and restore health, and prefers to use treatment approaches considered to be the least invasive; naturopathy is a system of medicine that emphasizes the relationship between structure and function of the body."
C) "Osteopathy is a system of medicine that emphasizes the relationship between structure and function of the body; naturopathy aims to support the body's inherent ability to maintain and restore health, and prefers to use treatment approaches considered to be the least invasive."
D) "Osteopathy stimulates the body's ability to heal itself by giving very small doses of highly diluted substances that, in larger doses, would produce symptoms or illness; naturopathy is a hands-on therapy that focuses on the health and function of the spine and other body structures and their effect on health."

Question 5

The nurse is caring for a patient with schizophrenia who takes herbal supplements along with prescribed medication to treat the condition. What type of CAM is the patient utilizing?

A) Allopathic medicine
B) Integrative medicine
C) Alternative medicine
D) Complementary medicine

Question 6

The student nurse is learning about the various complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies, which may be employed as collaborative treatment for the patient with mental illness. What will the student learn about the core concept of Ayurveda?

A) It uses instruments measuring body functions and providing sensory feedback to train patients to voluntarily control certain bodily processes.
B) It aims to integrate the body, mind, and spirit to prevent and treat illness and may employ herbs, massage, meditation, diet, and lifestyle modifications.
C) A medical system originating in China, its philosophy views the human body as a microcosm of the surrounding universe.
D) It seeks to stimulate the body's ability to heal itself by giving very small doses of highly diluted substances that, in larger doses, would produce symptoms or illness.

Question 7

The nurse is caring for a patient with insomnia who asks the nurse about possible complementary and alternative (CAM) practices which may help with the patient's disorder. What is the nurse's best response?

A) "DHEA has been shown to be effective in sleep-wake disorders."
B) "Acupuncture has been shown to be effective in all sleep-wake disorders."
C) "Natural products have been shown more effective in sleep-wake disorders than mind and body practices."
D) "Mindfulness-based meditation has been shown to be effective in sleep-interfering cognitive processes."

Question 8

The nurse is caring for a patient with mental illness who asks the nurse, "I have a friend who tells me that I should look into using complementary and alternative medicine to help treat my disease. What is that?" What is the nurse's best response?

A) "It is a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that may be used but are not considered evidence-based medicine."
B) "It is a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not generally considered part of traditional medicine."
C) "It is a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not generally considered useful in treating mental illness."
D) "It is a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are used extensively in the treatment of mental illness."

Question 9

The nurse refers a patient for acupuncture. What conditions has acupuncture been shown effective in treating? Select all that apply.

A) Personality disorder
B) Insomnia
C) Anxiety
D) Depression
E) Schizophrenia

Question 10

The nurse is caring for a patient with mental illness who expresses interest in the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). What main categories of CAM will the nurse include when providing education to the patient about CAM? Select all that apply.

A) Natural
B) Non-traditional
C) Alternative
D) Mind and body practices
E) Allopathic and naturopathic practices

Question 11

The nurse is caring for a patient with a circadian rhythm sleep disorder. The patient expresses a desire to try complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and the use of melatonin for the treatment of the condition. How does melatonin work for circadian rhythm sleep disorders?

A) It works by helping the individual stay asleep.
B) It works by helping the individual fall asleep.
C) It works by stimulating the pineal gland to improve sleep.
D) It work by suppressing the pineal gland to improve sleep.

Question 12

The nurse is caring for a patient with a sleep disorder who tells the nurse that she is considering drinking chamomile tea at night in order to help her sleep. The nurse knows to provide patient education to avoid concurrent use of chamomile with which class of medication?

A) Anticoagulant
B) Anticholinergic
C) Antidepressant
D) Antiemetic

Question 13

The nurse is caring for a patient who expresses an interest in the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for the treatment of anxiety. The patient asks the nurse about using Kava to treat his anxiety. What is the nurse's best response?

A) "Kava may be effective for long-term treatment of mild anxiety symptoms."
B) "Kava may be effective for the treatment of anxiety symptoms."
C) "Kava may be effective for short-term treatment of mild anxiety symptoms."
D) "Kava may be effective for short-term treatment of severe anxiety symptoms."

Question 14

The nurse is caring for an older adult patient with an anxiety disorder who expresses a desire to learn about the various complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies that may help treat the disorder. Which mind and body practices will be most likely to benefit this patient? Select all that apply.

A) Kava
B) DHEA
C) Meditation
D) Biofeedback
E) Progressive muscle relaxation

Question 15

The nurse is caring for a patient with a sleep disorder who tells the nurse that he takes the supplement valerian to sleep at night. What clinical manifestation is most likely to be present due to the effects of this medication? Select all that apply.

A) Headache
B) Dizziness
C) Renal toxicity
D) Hepatotoxicity
E) Gastrointestinal disturbances

Question 16

The nurse is working in a facility that uses music as therapy. What is true regarding this therapy?

A) Music therapy decreases blood pressure and heart rate in patients with coronary heart disease.
B) Music therapy uses high frequency music that is played for an hour at a time.
C) Music therapy decreases cholesterol and homocysteine levels in patients with coronary heart disease.
D) Music therapy uses low frequency music that is played for two hours at a time.

Question 17

The nurse is caring for a patient with major depressive disorder (MDD) who is taking DHEA in addition to antidepressant medications. Which potential adverse effect will the nurse be most concerned about the patient developing?

A) Suicidal ideation
B) Hypertension
C) Mania
D) Hypoglycemia

Question 18

A nurse is asked to provide a brief presentation comparing and contrasting the types of biologically based therapies. Which will the nurse include in the presentation? Select all that apply.

A) Supplements
B) Herbal products
C) Naturopathic medicine
D) Homeopathic medicine
E) Ayurveda

Question 19

The nurse is caring for a patient with depression. When obtaining the patient's current medication list, the nurse notes that the patient is taking St. John's wort. What additional class of medication would most concern the nurse if the patient reports taking a medication in that class?

A) MAOI
B) SSRI
C) Antipsychotics
D) Barbiturate

Question 20

The nurse is caring for a patient with an anxiety disorder. The patient asks that nurse, "Do you think complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) would help my condition?" Which factors will guide the nurse in helping the patient determine whether a CAM therapy may be beneficial? Select all that apply.

A) Current treatment regimen
B) History of use and success of CAM therapy
C) Assessment of the patient's current level of anxiety
D) History of patient adherence to a treatment regimen
E) Assessment of the patient's beliefs regarding CAM therapy

Question 21

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?

A) USDA
B) FDA
C) NSF
D) SMP

Question 22

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?

A) "You should continue the herbal supplements regardless of your surgery."
B) "You should discontinue the herbal supplements 2 weeks prior to your surgery."
C) "You should continue the herbal supplements if they do not interfere with your surgery."
D) "You should discontinue the herbal supplements 1 week prior to your surgery."

Question 23

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?

A) "How frequently do you have acupuncture?"
B) "What is the name of the supplement you take?"
C) "What types of therapy do you participate in?"
D) "How frequently do you take the herbal supplement?"

Question 24

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?

A) Ask the health care provider about potential interactions.
B) Consult a pharmacological reference text.
C) Consult a homeopathic reference text.
D) Ask the pharmacist about potential interactions.