Brunner & Suddarth's Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing 14e (Hinkle 2017) - Adult Health and Nutritional Assessment Related

Review Brunner & Suddarth's Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing 14e (Hinkle 2017) - Adult Health and Nutritional Assessment related questions and content

In the course of performing an admission assessment, the nurse has asked questions about the patient's first- and second-order relatives. What is the primary rationale for the nurse's line of questioning?

  • A. To determine how many living relatives the patient has
  • B. To identify the family's level of health literacy
  • C. To identify potential sources of social support
  • D. To identify diseases that may be genetic
Correct Answer: D

Rationale: To identify diseases that may be genetic, communicable, or possibly environmental in origin, the interviewer asks about the age and health status, or the age and cause of death, of first-order relatives (parents, siblings, spouse, children) and second-order relatives (grandparents, cousins). This is a priority over the number of living relatives, sources of support, or health literacy, though each of these may be relevant.