Assessment

Mr. Dunn's blood pressure reading is 189/110. His LDL cholesterol reading is 200 mg/dl. He asks the student nurse if he should be concerned about his blood pressure.

1.
How should the student respond?
A) "Your blood pressure is very high. You need to see your healthcare provider today."
INCORRECT
Mr. Dunn's blood pressure is high. The student nurse needs to assess for other symptoms before making the determination that the healthcare provider must see him that day.

B) "You have hypertension. You need to start making some lifestyle changes."
INCORRECT
The diagnosis of hypertension is not made until the client has an elevated blood pressure on two different occasions.

C) "Please sit here quietly for a few …show more content…

The nurse enters the room to give Mr. Dunn his prescriptions and spend some time teaching him about his care. Mr. Dunn asks the nurse to please call him Mark.
In speaking with the nurse, Mark expresses concern that the healthcare provider did not prescribe any additional tests. He asks, "Shouldn't the healthcare provider find out why I have hypertension?"

6.
How should the nurse respond to Mark's question?
A) "Your healthcare provider does not think we need to determine the cause now. Further tests may be done once your blood pressure is in the normal range."
INCORRECT
If there were indicators suggesting that there was a cause, it would be important to correct them, thereby helping bring the blood pressure down.

B) "90-95% of all cases of hypertension are without an identified cause, so unless there is some indicator in your health history, the healthcare provider does not look for one."
CORRECT
Primary (essential) hypertension has no identifiable cause, even though there are several known contributing factors.

C) "If there is a cause for your hypertension, it will become evident very soon. You will see the healthcare provider frequently until the cause is determined."
INCORRECT
If the hypertension did have a cause, clinical findings such as an abdominal bruit, variable pressures with a history of tachycardia, sweating, or a family history of renal disease may well