Patient Education & Support Strategies 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 Patient Education & Support Strategies flashcards as text
A patient with alcohol use disorder is being discharged. Which education topic is highest priority to reduce risk of life-threatening complications?
Answer: Signs and symptoms of alcohol withdrawal including seizures and delirium tremens
Alcohol withdrawal can progress to seizures and delirium tremens, which are potentially fatal, making this the highest priority discharge education topic.
Which type of coping skill education is most evidence-based for patients with co-occurring PTSD and substance use disorder?
Answer: Integrated trauma-informed approaches such as Seeking Safety
Seeking Safety is an evidence-based, integrated intervention that simultaneously addresses PTSD and substance use without requiring trauma processing.
A patient asks about the HALT acronym taught in relapse prevention education. What does HALT stand for?
Answer: Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired
HALT stands for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired — emotional and physical states that increase vulnerability to relapse.
When educating a patient about harm reduction strategies for injection drug use, the nurse should include information about:
Answer: Using clean syringes, never sharing equipment, and wound care
Harm reduction education includes syringe exchange programs, sterile equipment use, and wound care to reduce infection and disease transmission risk.
A nurse is using motivational interviewing during a patient education session. Which nurse statement best reflects the MI principle of 'affirmation'?
Answer: 'You mentioned you've been sober for two weeks — that takes real strength.'
Affirmation in motivational interviewing involves recognizing and acknowledging the patient's strengths and efforts to build rapport and self-efficacy.
Which statement about nicotine use in patients with substance use disorder is accurate and should be included in patient education?
Answer: Treating nicotine dependence concurrently with other SUDs improves overall recovery outcomes
Research shows that addressing nicotine dependence concurrently with other substance use disorders does not jeopardize sobriety and improves long-term outcomes.
A patient expresses shame about their addiction during an education session. The most therapeutic nursing response is to:
Answer: Validate their feelings while emphasizing that addiction is a chronic brain disease, not a moral failure
Validating feelings while framing addiction as a chronic brain disease reduces shame and stigma, which are significant barriers to treatment engagement.