Biology Forums - Study Force

A community health nurse will assume different roles while working with clients. What should the nurse do in the role of educator, while assisting a client and her family with their nutritional needs?
 
  a. Tell the client the best foods to buy.
  b. Purchase foods at the lowest cost for the client.
  c. Ask the client and her family what they think they should eat.
  d. Provide information on food sources and stores with reasonable pricing.

C
A community health nurse's goal is to help clients to assume responsibility for their own health care. The nurse must assess the client's learning needs and readiness to learn within the context of the individual client, the systems that she interacts with, and the resources available to her for support. Asking the client about what foods she should eat may help the nurse assess the client's level of knowledge regarding nutrition, as well as her food preferences. It also enables the client to become a participant in her own care.
Telling the client what foods to buy does not encourage her to assume responsibility for manag-ing her own health care.
The nurse should first assess the client's available resources, and then encourage her to do her own shopping.
Providing information on food sources and stores with reasonable pricing may be appropriate after the nurse has determined what information the client requires to meet her nutritional needs.