The patient tells the nurse that he has been taking herbal ...

[ts19998]

The patient tells the nurse that he has been taking herbal preparations to boost his immune system functioning. He does not know the names of the preparations. What is the best assessment question for the nurse to ask?
 
  1. Would you please tell your doctor about the herbs during the next visit?
  2. Would you please ask your wife to discuss this with me during her next visit?
  3. Would you please have your wife bring the bottles to the hospital?
  4. Would you please ask your wife to call the hospital pharmacist with the names?

Question 2

The patient tells the nurse that she plans to take St. John's wort to treat her depression. What is the best response by the nurse?
 
  1. That should be fine as long as you are not suicidal.
  2. St. John's wort is successfully used in Europe for minor depression.
  3. It would be a good idea to try this before paying for a prescription medication.
  4. It would be better to have a psychiatric assessment first.
  5. Herbal preparations can interact with many other medications.

[briezy]

Answer to Question 1

Correct Answer: 3
Rationale: The best way for the nurse to assess the kinds of herbal preparations the patient is taking is to actually look at the bottles. It is preferable for the nurse to do the assessment rather than to refer to the pharmacist who may or may not communicate the correct information. It is preferable for the nurse to do the assessment rather than to refer to the physician. Discussing the herbs with the nurse is the second best answer, but having objective data, the bottles, will provide the best information.

Answer to Question 2

Correct Answer: 4,5
Rationale: Anyone who is depressed should have a psychiatric assessment prior to starting on any type of medication. Often, there is a physiological cause for the depression that must also be treated. Herbal preparations do interact with many other medications and can have serious adverse side effects. The suicidality of the patient should not be a determining factor with using St. John's wort. Even though St. John's wort is successfully used in Europe, this does not mean it is appropriate for this patient. The patient should have a psychiatric assessment prior to trying St. John's wort; the cost of the prescription medication should not be a determining factor.

[ts19998]

Excellent

[tuate]

TYSM