A nurse is teaching a client who has herpes simplex virus type 2 about disease transmission.
Which of the following statements by the client indicates understanding of the teaching?

Choice A rationale

Encouraging the patient to write down questions promotes active engagement in their care and ensures that all their concerns are addressed during the consultation with the provider. This empowers the patient to seek clarification and understand the proposed plan of care directly from the healthcare professional responsible for it.

Choice B rationale

Providing internet articles about colon cancer stages can overwhelm the newly diagnosed patient with potentially complex and sometimes unreliable information. The specifics of the patient's diagnosis and treatment plan should come directly from their healthcare provider, who can tailor the information to their individual situation and answer specific questions.

Choice C rationale

While it is true that the provider will explain the planned treatment, this response does not actively address the patient's immediate need for information and may make the patient feel dismissed. Encouraging the patient to prepare questions ensures a more productive and informative discussion with the provider.

Choice D rationale

Explaining treatment options based on cancer stage is the responsibility of the healthcare provider, who has the complete clinical picture and can discuss the risks, benefits, and potential outcomes of each option in the context of the patient's specific case. The nurse's role at this stage is to facilitate communication between the patient and the provider, not to provide detailed medical explanations.

· Initiate IV fluids – Contraindicated: While IV fluids might be helpful in some cases, excessive fluid administration could exacerbate certain conditions like heart failure or fluid overload. It would depend on the underlying cause of his symptoms.

· Administer aspirin for abdominal pain – Contraindicated: Aspirin can worsen gastrointestinal conditions, especially in someone with GERD. It can increase the risk of gastric irritation or even bleeding.

· Insert a nasogastric tube, attach to low suction – Contraindicated: While NG tube placement can be used for gastric decompression, it is generally not the first step in managing GERD or non-obstructive epigastric pain. This should only be considered if there is suspicion of an obstructive process.

· Initiate continuous ECG monitoring – Anticipated: Given his tachycardia, elevated blood pressure, and history of anxiety, monitoring his cardiac status would be appropriate to rule out cardiac involvement.

· Test stools for occult blood – Anticipated: Considering his long history of smoking and GERD, there is a risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, so checking for occult blood would be a reasonable precaution.