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Difficulty: MediumLifestyle Choices

A practical nurse is reinforcing dietary lifestyle modifications for a client of Orthodox Jewish faith who has newly diagnosed hypertension. The client states, "I want to follow this new low-sodium diet, but it is very difficult to prepare acceptable meals during religious holidays." Which response by the nurse is the most appropriate?

  1. Tell me more about the specific traditional foods you usually prepare during the holidays.Answer
  2. B
    It would be best for you to completely avoid holiday meals until your blood pressure is under control.
  3. C
    You can use the standard hospital low-sodium menu as a guide for your holiday cooking.
  4. D
    I will formulate a comprehensive new care plan to accommodate your specific religious dietary needs.

Answer

The most appropriate response is to ask the client to tell more about the specific traditional foods they prepare.
The correct response uses a therapeutic communication technique (broad opening and exploring) to gather specific data about the client's cultural lifestyle practices. This allows the healthcare team to understand the client's specific barriers and subsequently reinforce dietary modifications that are both medically appropriate and culturally acceptable.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the client's statement.
The client is expressing difficulty balancing a prescribed lifestyle modification (low-sodium diet) with important cultural and religious practices.
Identifying the core conflict helps determine the most therapeutic and culturally competent intervention.
2
Evaluate the options based on therapeutic communication principles.
Asking an open-ended question about the traditional foods encourages dialogue, while giving strict advice to avoid the meals is non-therapeutic and dismissive.
Therapeutic communication fosters trust and increases the likelihood of adherence to lifestyle changes.
3
Evaluate the options based on the practical nurse scope of practice.
The practical nurse can gather specific data about the client's dietary habits to reinforce teaching, but cannot independently formulate a new comprehensive care plan.
Ensuring actions remain within the legal scope of practice is essential for safe client care.

Key Concept

Culturally Competent Lifestyle Modifications
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Topics

Lifestyle Choices

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