Question 1

AIDS is a global health crisis because it:

Accepted Answer

The rate of infection continues to increase around the world, and there is no cure for this devastating disease, making AIDS a global health crisis.

Question 2

Who is at highest risk for becoming infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)?

Accepted Answer

Unprotected sexual intercourse, both homosexual and heterosexual, is the most common method of HIV transmission. Intravenous drug use is a risk factor. Being homosexual is not by itself a risk factor if safe sex is practiced. Standard precautions will minimize any risk the nursing assistant may have for getting infected.

Question 3

It is true that people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS:

Accepted Answer

People who are HIV positive or who have AIDS need to be treated with compassion, just like everybody else. The other options are not necessarily true.

Question 4

The client confides a diagnosis of AIDs to the nursing assistant. What action should the nursing assistant take?

Accepted Answer

If a client confides having AIDS to the nursing assistant, the nursing assistant must provide compassionate care and not tell anyone else or put the information on the Kardex. Compassionate care should be delivered to any client, regardless of condition. The nursing assistant needs to follow standard precautions, and there is no reason for double gloving because it offers no additional protection.

Question 5

A common sign seen in people who are HIV positive is:

Accepted Answer

A person who is HIV positive experiences recurrent infections because the virus attacks the person's immune system. Hair loss is seen with certain forms of chemotherapy. Diarrhea and weight loss are more commonly experienced by those who are HIV positive

Question 6

When caring for a resident diagnosed as being HIV positive, the nursing assistant will show respect for the person's rights by:

Accepted Answer

A client's or resident's health information should always be kept private and discussed with only the nurse. The other options are appropriate but are not related to the person's rights.

Question 7

When friends and family abandon a person diagnosed as being HIV positive, the person becomes at high risk for:

Accepted Answer

Emotional stress, such as that caused by the loss of a support system, puts the person at risk for developing clinical depression. The other options may occur, but they are not necessarily related to the loss of a support system.

Question 8

Nursing assistants can best protect themselves from coming into contact with the HIV virus by:

Accepted Answer

The most effective way of protecting oneself from exposure to bloodborne pathogens is to use standard precautions consistently and correctly, with every client or resident. It is not legally appropriate to question each client about HIV status. The other options are unnecessary.

Question 9

People diagnosed with AIDS often become depressed and isolated from feelings of guilt and shame. The nursing assistant can help decrease these feelings by:

Accepted Answer

When caring for a person with HIV/AIDS, the nursing assistant can use touch to comfort the person, spend time listening and talking with the person, or even hug the person. These activities can help the person with HIV/AIDS feel accepted and cared about. Good care is expected. Asking the chaplain to visit requires a request from the client. Avoiding conversation about the illness may cause the person to think that nursing assistant is not comfortable and accepting of the person.

Question 10

A client in the advanced stage of AIDS will need the nursing assistant to:

Accepted Answer

Toward the end of their lives, most people with AIDS require almost complete assistance with ADLs. As a result, many seek care from home health care agencies or move to long-term care facilities, but this is not a nursing assistant's responsibility. Most people with AIDS also eventually require hospice care. Standard precautions are necessary, but masks are usually unnecessary. Communicating with family and friends is not normally an issue addressed by the nursing assistant.

Question 11

Most HIV-positive people develop acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) because:

Accepted Answer

As HIV takes over the body's immune system, the infected person begins to have more and more health problems, such as severe infections and rare cancers. Most HIV-positive people eventually develop AIDS. AIDS is said to occur when the person's immune system is no longer able to fight off infections and cancers.

Question 12

People diagnosed with AIDS most commonly die from:

Accepted Answer

HIV takes over the body's immune system, making it unable to fight off infections and malignancies. People with AIDS die from infections and cancers that the body is no longer able to fight.

Question 13

A common form of skin cancer associated with advanced HIV infection is:

Accepted Answer

Kaposi sarcoma, a type of cancer, is often seen on the skin and mucous membranes of people with advanced HIV infection (AIDS). Anorexia is a loss of appetite, dysphagia is difficulty with swallowing, and pneumonia is a respiratory problem; all can occur with advanced HIV, but they are not forms of cancer.

Question 14

A client diagnosed with HIV/AIDS who has sores in the mouth is on the team the nursing assistant is caring for this evening. Which nursing intervention(s) will help promote nutrition for this client? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

For clients with poor nutrition related to painful mouth sores, the nursing assistant can provide frequent oral care, but scrubbing the tongue with peroxide is inappropriate (it would cause the tongue to bleed). However, the client may be asked to swish or gargle mouthwashes of various mixtures. Appropriate interventions would include using a special numbing spray or mouthwash as ordered to ease the pain of mouth sores and offering nutritious supplement drinks as ordered and offering to substitute hot food with yogurt or ice cream combined with fruit. Persons with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) usually eliminate foods that have seeds on them.

Question 15

While cleaning up an incontinent client who has a history of HIV/AIDS, the nursing assistant notices blood in the watery stool. The most appropriate intervention would be to:

Accepted Answer

Bleeding from any bodily opening and diarrhea must be reported to the nurse. These are signs that the HIV/AIDS may be getting more severe and other medications may be prescribed at this time. One needs a physician order to send a specimen to lab. This is not within the nursing assistant's scope of practice. Moving on without reporting to the nurse is inappropriate. Of course, HIV/AIDS clients may develop GI "bugs" like any person; however, their weakened immune systems make these bugs much more severe.

Question 16

The nursing assistant is caring for a client recently diagnosed with AIDS. The client states, "I have no reason to live any longer." What is the appropriate response for the nursing assistant to make?

Accepted Answer

The nursing assistant's best therapeutic response is to find out what the client means by their statement that the client has no reason to live any longer. This opens communication so the client can better articulate these feelings. The nursing assistant should report what has occurred to the nurse immediately after talking with the client, to help with depression. The nursing assistant should not focus on the disease over the client's emotional needs. Nor should the assistant minimize the client's feelings or bring up loved ones. Asking a yes-or-no question does not open communication to determine what the client means by the statement.

Question 17

The nursing assistant is providing oral care for a resident diagnosed with AIDS and observes that the resident has white patches in the mouth and throat and complains of pain with swallowing. The most appropriate intervention would be to:

Accepted Answer

The most appropriate intervention for the nursing assistant is to report the observations to the nurse at once so that the resident may be further evaluated and treatment can begin. It is not in the scope of practice for the nursing assistant to treat the mouth sores or ask if the resident has been taking medications. The resident with AIDS may get mouth sores while taking their HIV meds. The cold yogurt shake will help with nutrition since the resident's mouth is sore but does not provide the necessary follow-up to get treatment to help heal the mouth sores. A prescription agent to numb the sores, and a prescription mouth rinse to help heal the sores, will be sought by the nurse.

Question 18

The nursing assistant is caring for a client with HIV/AIDS who has had frequent bouts of pneumonia. What intervention should the nursing assistant take?

Accepted Answer

The nursing assistant recognizes that the client's immune system is compromised and that the client is prone to infections, such as pneumonia. The best intervention to take is to ask visitors with small children to see the nurse about visitation so that the client will not be exposed to illnesses that children often have. The client should wash hands with soap and water after using the bathroom. The client needs to have thoroughly cooked meats, and sushi is raw fish. The client should avoid crowded places.

Question 19

The nursing assistant is caring for a client diagnosed with HIV/AIDS admitted to the hospital for an infection and placed on a new antibiotic who suddenly develops a nonraised red rash and itching. Which action should the nursing assistant take first?

Accepted Answer

The client is receiving an antibiotic for the first time and develops a rash, so the nursing assistant should first tell the nurse immediately about the observations. Even if the client has had a rash before, it was most likely for different reasons. New rashes can happen for many reasons, but always need evaluated right away. Trimming and filing the nails or using soapless cleansers will help protect the skin from further breakdown but are not as urgent as reporting the new change in the client to the nurse.

Question 20

The nursing assistant is caring for a resident with AIDS who is unsteady while walking in the dining room. What action should the nursing assistant take first?

Accepted Answer

The nursing assistant observing that the resident with AIDS is unsteady should assist the resident to the nearest chair. This promotes independence for the resident but also keeps the resident safe from a fall. If the nursing assistant reports the observation to the nurse before taking other actions, the resident will possibly fall. The nurse may be notified after the nursing assistant helps the resident to a safe location. Providing a walker without training on how to use it could result in a fall injury. Asking if the resident needs help delays providing the intervention to prevent a potential fall.

Quiz 31: Caring for People With Hivaids