What is the primary purpose of providing oral care to an unconscious patient?

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: Providing oral care to an unconscious patient maintains oral health and prevents complications like infections (e.g., pneumonia) or sores by removing bacteria and keeping tissues moist. Preventing talking isn't relevant they're unconscious. Forcing liquids isn't the aim; hydration comes via other routes like IVs. Hospital-wide infection control benefits indirectly, but the focus is patient-specific health. Nurses use swabs or brushes regularly to combat dryness and microbial growth, a critical task in dependent care to safeguard respiratory and systemic wellness.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: Using simple, clear language and allowing comprehension time promotes effective communication with a cognitively limited patient by matching their processing ability, reducing confusion, and encouraging understanding. Complex terms overwhelm, hindering accuracy. Rapid speech outpaces their grasp, causing frustration. Minimal communication isolates, missing care opportunities engagement matters. Nurses repeat key points, use visuals if needed, and check responses, patiently bridging cognitive gaps to ensure instructions or comfort are conveyed effectively.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: A cooling fan improves sleep quality and comfort for a bedridden patient by circulating air, reducing heat and sweat, common discomforts in prolonged stillness. Warm air circulation counters this goal cooling is key. Noise might stimulate but disrupts sleep, not enhances it. Decreasing ventilation traps heat and odors, worsening conditions. Nurses position fans safely, avoiding drafts on wounds, to create a soothing environment, aiding rest and recovery, a simple comfort boost in confined settings.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: Using a swab to clean the mouth assists a mobility-limited patient by providing gentle, effective oral care tailored to their physical constraints, preventing decay or infection. Doing it entirely for them may work but reduces autonomy unnecessarily. Leaving with tools assumes ability they may lack, risking neglect. Avoiding care invites complications discomfort stems from poor hygiene, not care itself. Nurses swab gently, often with solutions, supporting independence where possible, a practical hygiene solution for dependent patients.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: Personal beliefs are not a formal determinant of health, unlike culture, biology/genetics, and social support, which are recognized factors shaping health outcomes. Culture influences practices and access, biology/genetics dictate predisposition (e.g., hereditary conditions), and social support buffers stress or isolation all directly tied to health. Beliefs, like preferring herbal remedies, reflect individual choices shaped by determinants, not the determinants themselves. Health care aides encounter beliefs in care preferences, but their role is to navigate these within broader health factors, ensuring care respects clients while addressing systemic influences, not conflating personal views with structural drivers.