A nurse in a provider’s office performs a fecal occult blood test with a positive result on a client.
Which of the following clients may have a false positive result?

Correct answer: C

A. A client who has a venous stasis ulcer: This is less likely to cause a false positive result. While ulcers can bleed, the fecal occult blood test is designed to detect small amounts of blood in the stool, not necessarily blood from other sources like venous stasis ulcers.

B. A client who has peripheral hematomas: Peripheral hematomas are typically not related to the fecal occult blood test. They generally wouldn’t affect the results unless there was significant bleeding or if the hematomas were a result of an underlying bleeding disorder.

C. A client who underwent a barium swallow study: This is the most likely to cause a false positive result. Barium used in the study can sometimes appear as a false positive on the test due to its interference with the chemical reactions used to detect blood.

D. A client who takes an iron supplement: Iron supplements can actually cause a false negative result rather than a false positive because they may darken the stool and mask the presence of blood.

The correct answer is choice A. Evaluate the client’s concerns and communicate them to the provider.

This is because the nurse’s role as a patient advocate is to speak, act or behave in a way that benefits their patient, who may not be able to support or promote their own needs or interests.

The nurse should provide patients with information regarding their diagnoses, prognoses, treatments, and alternatives, and serve as a patient’s voice when necessary.

Choice B is wrong because contacting the unit’s social worker to report the client’s refusal is not an appropriate action for the nurse to take as a patient advocate.

The nurse should respect the patient’s autonomy and right to refuse treatment, and not involve other professionals without the patient’s consent.

Choice C is wrong because asking the client’s partner to find out why the client has refused the procedure is not an appropriate action for the nurse to take as a patient advocate.

The nurse should communicate directly with the patient and not rely on third parties to obtain information or influence the patient’s decision.

Choice D is wrong because explaining the necessity of the procedure to the client is not an appropriate action for the nurse to take as a patient advocate.

The nurse should not impose their own values or opinions on the patient, but rather provide unbiased and factual information and support the patient’s informed choice.