Nursing Interventions and Treatment Flashcards
7 cards from real CARN practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Nursing Interventions and Treatment flashcards as text
A patient in alcohol withdrawal scores 15 on the CIWA-Ar. Which medication is the first-line pharmacological intervention?
Answer: Lorazepam
Benzodiazepines such as lorazepam are first-line agents for managing moderate-to-severe alcohol withdrawal due to their cross-tolerance with alcohol at GABA receptors.
Which nursing intervention is most important when administering methadone in an opioid treatment program (OTP)?
Answer: Observe the patient swallow the dose to confirm ingestion
Direct observation of methadone ingestion (DOT) is required at OTPs to prevent diversion and confirm therapeutic dosing.
A nurse is planning brief motivational interventions for a patient identified through SBIRT screening. What does SBIRT stand for?
Answer: Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment
SBIRT is a public health framework—Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment—used across healthcare settings to address substance use disorders.
A patient on buprenorphine/naloxone reports severe withdrawal symptoms 18 hours after their last heroin use. What is the priority nursing action before initiating the first dose?
Answer: Confirm the patient is in moderate objective opioid withdrawal using a scale like COWS
Buprenorphine induction must be delayed until the patient displays objective withdrawal signs (COWS ≥ 8–12) to prevent precipitated withdrawal.
Which psychosocial intervention is specifically designed to enhance a patient's internal motivation to change addictive behaviors by exploring ambivalence?
Answer: Motivational Interviewing (MI)
Motivational Interviewing is a patient-centered, directive counseling style designed to elicit and strengthen motivation for change by resolving ambivalence.
A patient with opioid use disorder and HIV is starting medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). Which MOUD has documented effectiveness in improving HIV antiretroviral therapy adherence?
Answer: Methadone or buprenorphine
Both methadone and buprenorphine have been shown to increase retention in care and ART adherence in patients with co-occurring HIV and opioid use disorder.
During a nicotine cessation counseling session, the nurse teaches the patient about nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). Which statement by the patient indicates a need for further teaching?
Answer: I should stop NRT immediately if I smoke even one cigarette
A slip does not require stopping NRT; continuing NRT while addressing the lapse is more effective than abrupt discontinuation.