A client is receiving chemotherapy and reports nausea and loss of appetite.
What is the best intervention the nurse should implement?
Suggest the client avoid eating until they feel hungry.
Encourage the client to eat three large meals per day.
Advise the client to increase their intake of fatty foods.
Offer small, frequent meals that are easy to digest.
The Correct Answer is D
Choice A rationale
Suggesting the client avoid eating until hungry is generally not the best intervention for chemotherapy-induced nausea and loss of appetite. Prolonged fasting can worsen malnutrition, lead to energy deficits, and potentially exacerbate nausea due to an empty stomach, hindering recovery and treatment tolerance.
Choice B rationale
Encouraging the client to eat three large meals per day is often counterproductive during chemotherapy when nausea and appetite loss are prevalent. Large meals can overwhelm the digestive system, increase feelings of fullness, and trigger or worsen nausea and vomiting, leading to reduced intake.
Choice C rationale
Advising the client to increase their intake of fatty foods is generally not recommended for chemotherapy-induced nausea. Fatty foods are more difficult to digest, can delay gastric emptying, and are more likely to exacerbate nausea, bloating, and discomfort in a compromised digestive system.
Choice D rationale
Offering small, frequent meals that are easy to digest is the most effective intervention. This approach minimizes gastric distention, reduces the likelihood of triggering nausea, and allows for consistent nutrient intake. Easily digestible foods like crackers, toast, and clear broths are preferred, maintaining hydration.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
Choice A rationale
While anger is indeed a recognized stage of the Kubler-Ross grieving process, which can occur in response to illness and treatment, in this specific clinical scenario following radiation therapy, it is less likely to be the primary cause of sudden, uncharacteristic anger and demanding behavior. The physiological impact of radiation often takes precedence over psychological stages of grief in acute behavioral changes.
Choice B rationale
Notifying the healthcare provider for an anxiolytic might be considered if the anger were purely anxiety-driven. However, given the context of radiation therapy, the nurse must first consider physiological causes. Administering anxiolytics without investigating potential organic causes for behavioral changes could mask serious underlying complications, delaying appropriate medical intervention.
Choice C rationale
Radiation therapy, particularly to the head or involving systemic effects that cross the blood-brain barrier, can induce neurotoxicity. This can manifest as cerebral edema or metabolic disturbances, leading to confusion, irritability, and personality alterations. Therefore, sudden behavioral changes like anger and demandingness after treatment warrant immediate assessment for neurological sequelae related to the therapy.
Choice D rationale
Assuming a "bad experience" is a premature conclusion. While patient experiences certainly influence behavior, a sudden, significant shift in personality and demeanor after a medical procedure, especially radiation, points more strongly towards a physiological or pharmacological side effect. The nurse's priority is to rule out medical complications before attributing behavior to psychosocial factors.
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
Choice A rationale
Suggesting a caregiver resign their duties can be an insensitive and impractical solution. Caregiving responsibilities are often deeply personal and rooted in familial bonds. Such a suggestion may increase feelings of guilt or failure rather than providing constructive support or addressing the underlying exhaustion.
Choice B rationale
While empathy and emotional support are valuable, a hug alone does not address the practical and systemic issues contributing to caregiver burnout. It provides momentary comfort but fails to offer concrete solutions for managing the overwhelming demands, stress, and exhaustion inherent in long-term caregiving.
Choice C rationale
Encouraging temporary cessation of visits, while seemingly offering respite, can be detrimental to both the caregiver and the care recipient. It might lead to feelings of guilt for the caregiver and a sense of abandonment for the patient, potentially worsening their emotional well-being and disrupting care continuity.
Choice D rationale
Respite care programs offer temporary relief for primary caregivers, allowing them to rest and attend to personal needs while ensuring the patient receives professional care. This structured support system helps prevent caregiver burnout, maintain the caregiver's physical and mental health, and improve overall care quality.
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