Black & Hawks: Medical-Surgical Nursing: Clinical Management for

Positive Outcomes, 7th Edition

Chapter 5: Alternative and Complementary Therapies

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine,

complementary medicine is
a. used together with conventional medicine.
b. used in place of conventional medicine.
c. prescribed and overseen by a medical physician.
d. treatment of a physical illness by a spiritual intervention.
ANS: a
Complementary medicine is used together with conventional medicine, such as using
aromatherapy to reduce discomfort after surgery.

DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: Text Reference: 109

TOP: Nursing Process Step: N/A MSC: NCLEX: N/A

2. Of the many complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) modalities available in

the United States, the most rapidly growing area is
a. acupuncture.
b. meditation.
c. dietary supplementation.
d. acupressure.
ANS: c
Dietary supplementation is currently the most rapidly growing CAM modality in the
United States.

DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: Text Reference: 110

TOP: Nursing Process Step: N/A MSC: NCLEX: N/A

3. A nurse taking the history of a 40-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis might be
alerted to the client’s use of CAM when the client says
a. “Doctors don’t know everything.”
b. “I’ve heard something about alternative medicine. What is that?”
c. “What do you think about biofeedback?”
d. “A bunch of nuts believe that putting nice smells in the air will cure arthritis.”
ANS: c
The most “nondisclosing” client remark is asking the nurse about a specific alternative
modality and “testing the waters” relative to the nurse’s response to that specific
modality.

Elsevier items and derived items 2005 by Elsevier Inc.

Chapter 5: Alternative and Complementary Therapies 2

DIF: Cognitive Level: Analysis REF: Text Reference: 111, Box 5-2;
TOP: Nursing Process Step: Assessment
MSC: NCLEX: Health Promotion and Maintenance

4. When the client asks the nurse about the use of therapeutic herbs, the nurse’s most
instructional response would be
a. “I have heard many people have used some herbal remedies and had good results.”
b. “Herbs have many qualitites; some effects are good, and some are not.”
c. “Herbs are not regulated and may pose health risks if used with prescribed drugs.”
d. “If you are getting relief from some herbal remedy, there is probably no harm in
it.”
ANS: c
Herbs are not regulated, and some herbs can interfere with the therapeutic effects of some
drugs and can react unfavorably with anesthesia and surgical intervention.

DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Text Reference: 111

TOP: Nursing Process Step: Intervention MSC: NCLEX: Physiological Integrity

5. The nurse reminds a client that the Dietary Supplement and Health Act of 1994
prevented manufacturers of dietary supplements from
a. offering products for sale except through pharmacies.
b. publishing outrageous claims for the product on promotional materials.
c. manufacturing products that are not tested or proven.
d. making specific therapeutic claims for the product on their labels.
ANS: d
This act forbids claims for specific results from being placed on the label, although
outrageous claims may be made on websites and in promotional materials.

DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: Text Reference: 112

TOP: Nursing Process Step: Intervention
MSC: NCLEX: Health Promotion and Maintenance

6. When the client asks the nurse what “placebo effect” means, the nurse includes in the
response that the placebo effect describes
a. a product that, although producing therapeutic effects for many users, has no effect
on others.
b. a practice of manufacturers to make hugely inflated claims to induce the potential
user to believe in the worth of the product.
c. a deterioration of the product to the point that it renders the product incapable of
offering any therapeutic benefit.
d. a phenomenon of a person taking the placebo and claiming positive effects because
of psychological factors unrelated to the product.
ANS: d

Elsevier items and derived items 2005 by Elsevier Inc.

Chapter 5: Alternative and Complementary Therapies 3

Placebo effect is the phenomenon of persons given the placebo in testing and then
claiming positive benefits from the product based on psychological factors unrelated to
the product.

DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Text Reference: 113

TOP: Nursing Process Step: Intervention
MSC: NCLEX: Health Promotion and Maintenance

7. A client defends the benefits of a dietary supplement, pointing out that the product
was proven in serum studies. The nurse includes in the response that serum studies are
a. confusing and open to several interpretations.
b. skewed by the placebo effect.
c. an indication of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval.
d. unquestionably objective.
ANS: d
Serum studies are clearly objective and free from the confusion of placebo effect.

DIF: Cognitive Level: Knowledge REF: Text Reference: 113

TOP: Nursing Process Step: Intervention
MSC: NCLEX: Health Promotion and Maintenance

8. In defending herbal remedies, the nurse points out that many conventional drugs are
derived from plants, such as
a. steroids.
b. penicillin.
c. quinine.
d. meperidine (Demerol).
ANS: c
Quinine is derived from cinchona. The other options are manufactured from chemical
compounds or derived from hormones.

DIF: Cognitive Level: Knowledge REF: Text Reference: 114, Table 5-2;
TOP: Nursing Process Step: Intervention MSC: NCLEX: Physiological Integrity

9. The nurse cautions that, when consumed in large quanities, antioxidants can become
pro-oxidants, which
a. can produce free radicals.
b. absorb large quanities of free radicals.
c. create a free radical “shield.”
d. enhance the immune system.
ANS: a
Pro-oxidants, which can develop from the concentrated use of large amounts of
antioxidants, can produce millions of free radicals.

DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: Text Reference: 114

Elsevier items and derived items 2005 by Elsevier Inc.

Chapter 5: Alternative and Complementary Therapies 4

TOP: Nursing Process Step: Intervention MSC: NCLEX: Physiological Integrity

10. A young Hispanic woman tells the nurse that she is going to have a healing ritual to
center her spirit after the recent death of her husband. The nurse recognizes the
alternative medicine system of
a. Ayurveda
b. Reiki
c. Tai Chi
d. Curanderismo
ANS: d
Curanderismo is the practice prevalent in the Hispanic culture of spiritual rites and rituals
to promote healing.

DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: Text Reference: 115, Table 5-3;
TOP: Nursing Process Step: Assessment
MSC: NCLEX: Health Promotion and Maintenance

11. An elderly Chinese woman tells the nurse that she must improve the flow of her Qi.
The nurse asks the client how long she hase been using
a. Tai Chi.
b. yoga.
c. acupuncture.
d. Ayurveda.
ANS: c
Acupuncuture is an ancient Oriental practice of placing needles in certain points of the
body to improve the energy flow of Qi throughout the body to improve health.

DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: Text Reference: 115, Table 5-3;
TOP: Nursing Process Step: Intervention
MSC: NCLEX: Health Promotion and Maintenance

12. Because of the repetitive, slow, controlled movement involved, the nurse suggests
that a client with arthritis may benefit from the CAM therapy of
a. Tai Chi
b. Reiki
c. Ayurveda
d. biofeedback
ANS: a
Tai Chi is a practice of moving through a series of motions slowly and in a controlled
manner to improve balance and flexibility.

DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: Text Reference: 116, Table 5-4;
TOP: Nursing Process Step: Intervention MSC: NCLEX: Physiological Integrity

Elsevier items and derived items 2005 by Elsevier Inc.