Question Of The Day: Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders

Q. A 75-year-old client is newly diagnosed with diabetes. The nurse is instructing him about blood glucose testing. After the session, the client states, "I can't be expected to remember all this stuff." The nurse should recognize this response as most likely related to which of the following?

A. Moderate to severe anxiety.
B. Disinterest in the illness.
C. Early-onset dementia.
D. Normal reaction to learning a new skill.

Correct Answer: A

Reason: Anxiety, especially at higher levels, interferes with learning and memory retention. After the client's anxiety lessens, it will be easier for him to learn the steps of the blood glucose monitoring. Because the client's illness is a chronic, lifelong illness that severely changes his lifestyle, it is unlikely that he is uninterested in the illness or how to treat it. It is also unlikely that dementia would be the cause of the client's frustration and lack of memory. The client's response indicates anxiety. Client responses that would indicate lessening anxiety would be questions to the nurse or requests to repeat part of the instruction.