Author Question: A patient is admitted to the trauma unit with the diagnosis of spinal cord injury resulting from an ... (Read 106 times)

Beheh · **on:** Jul 22, 2018

A patient is admitted to the trauma unit with the diagnosis of spinal cord injury resulting from an ATV accident. The health care provider has diagnosed the patient as a paraplegic.

Which of the following is one of the most important topics for patient teaching to prevent further injury to the patient? a. Reminding him that he can be injured and not feel pain below his waist
b. Suggesting that his parents purchase a motorized wheelchair to prevent arm muscle strain
c. Reminding the patient to decrease fluid intake due to lack of mobility
d. Reminding the patient to drink plenty of fluids to maintain hydration

Question 2

What should the nurse do when planning goals for a family?

a. View the family as a group of individuals rather than a system.
b. Make the goals as vague as possible so that they are attainable.
c. Be flexible since families are continually changing.
d. Recognize that, although individuals go through developmental stages, families do not.

josephsuarez · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 22, 2018

Answer to Question 1

A
Some patients such as those with spinal cord injuries are unable to sense painful stimuli. You must take special precautions to protect them from additional injury. Safety is the number one priority for this patient due to lack of sensation and movement in the lower extremities. Providing precautions against taking too much pain medication and reminding the patient to drink plenty of fluids to maintain hydration are important interventions. Determination of which type of wheelchair the patient will need would be determined by the health care team closer to discharge. Pain processes require an intact peripheral nervous system and spinal cord. Common factors that disrupt the pain experience include trauma, drugs, tumor growth, and metabolic disorders.

Answer to Question 2

C
Families are continually changing. As a result, the need for family support changes over time, and it is important for you to understand that the family is more complex than simply a combination of individual members. Family nursing practice has three levels of approaches: (1) family as context, (2) family as patient, and (3) family as system. The goals need to be concrete, realistic, compatible with the family's developmental stage and expectations, and acceptable to the family. Although families are far from identical to one another, they have a basic pattern and similarity in experiences, resulting in predictable stages. Each of these developmental stages has its own challenges, needs, and resources and includes tasks that need to be completed before the family is able to successfully move on to the next stage.