Question

The nurse is preparing to assess the client's temperature. Which statement by the nurse about temperature regulation requires further teaching from the charge nurse?

1) "Infants are highly susceptible to changes in environmental temperature."
2) "Environmental changes in temperature are unlikely to affect the elderly client."
3) "An illness like infection can cause the client's temperature to increase."
4) D. "If the client is under a lot of stress their temperature can increase."

Answer 1

The nurse's statement that requires further teaching from the charge nurse is: 'Environmental changes in temperature are unlikely to affect the elderly client.'

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse's statement that requires further teaching from the charge nurse is: "Environmental changes in temperature are unlikely to affect the elderly client." This statement is incorrect because older people may have a harder time regulating their body temperature and are more susceptible to diseases caused by overheating. This is one reason why they are more likely to develop heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses.

The body's temperature regulation is coordinated by the nervous system and centered in the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus maintains the body's set point for temperature and responds to various factors such as illness, infection, and stress, which can cause the temperature to increase. Infants are highly susceptible to changes in environmental temperature, and if a client is under a lot of stress, their temperature can also increase.