Author Question: A clinic nurse assesses a new Latino patient who repeatedly reports feeling nervous and having ... (Read 90 times)

jilianpiloj · **on:** Jul 11, 2018

A clinic nurse assesses a new Latino patient who repeatedly reports feeling nervous and having headaches. No organic pathology is present. The symptoms began about 3 years ago when the patient's parent died. Select the nurse's best first action.

a. Explore the patient's grief.
b. Encourage the patient to take frequent rest periods.
c. Reassure the patient that these feelings are normal.
d. Screen for additional signs and symptoms of depression.

Question 2

Which adolescent would the nurse consider to have the highest priority for health promotion interventions aimed at reducing risk for depression, based on the person's history?

a. Parents killed in an auto accident
b. Lived with adoptive parents since birth
c. Allergies to dust, pollen, and mold
d. Frequent conflicts with siblings

bdobbins · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 11, 2018

Answer to Question 1

D
Latino patients often do not express depression as being related to their mood; rather, they present vague somatic symptoms. Nurses often have good understanding of cultural differences. The nurse should first screen for other signs and symptoms of depression. The patient's feelings are not normal when considered from a cultural viewpoint. Reassuring the patient that the feelings are normal would be nontherapeutic. Exploring grief may come later. Frequent rest periods would isolate the patient who actually needs support.

Answer to Question 2

A
The events that predispose children and adolescents to develop depression involve loss such as death or separation from parents, death of a close relative, death of a pet, a move to another neighborhood, academic problems, or illness or injury that requires hospitalization. This is the only answer that reflects the relationship of loss to the disorder.