Fundamentals of Nursing: The Art and Science of Person-Centered Care Tenth, North American Edition - Complementary and Integrative Health Related

Review Fundamentals of Nursing: The Art and Science of Person-Centered Care Tenth, North American Edition - Complementary and Integrative Health related questions and content

The patient is lying in bed under a ceiling fan. Which technique is the nurse using when the fan produces heat loss?

  • A. Radiation
  • B. Conduction
  • C. Convection
  • D. Evaporation
Correct Answer: C

Rationale: A ceiling fan moves air over the patient, causing heat loss via convection (C), where warm air around the body is replaced by cooler moving air. Radiation (A) involves heat emission without contact, not fan-driven. Conduction (B) requires direct contact (e.g., cold pack), not air movement. Evaporation (D) involves moisture loss, not primarily fan-related here. Choice C is correct because convection matches the mechanism of air circulation enhancing heat dissipation, a principle nurses apply in thermoregulation strategies to cool patients effectively in clinical settings.