Final answer:
The nurse should include instructions for the tuberculosis patient on respiratory hygiene, isolation practices, and the urgency of family members getting tested. Additionally, the importance of completing the full course of TB treatment to prevent resistance or recurrence should be emphasized.
Step-by-step explanation:
A nurse providing education to a client who has tuberculosis (TB) and their family should stress the importance of preventing the spread of the disease. Since TB is transmitted through the air by droplet nuclei from coughing, sneezing, or spitting, it is crucial to practice good respiratory hygiene. Clients should be instructed to wear a respiratory mask and to confine themselves to one area if possible, to reduce the risk of transmitting the bacterium, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, to others.
Family members in close contact with the person infected with TB should also be tested for the disease. The Mantoux tuberculin skin test is regularly used in the United States for this purpose, although it is important to confirm positive results with additional diagnostic tests, such as a chest radiograph, due to the possibility of false-positive results from previous vaccinations like BCG.
A common misunderstanding is that once symptoms are relieved the infection has been fully treated. Health officials warn that patients must complete the full course of treatment to completely eradicate the infection and prevent recurrence or resistance.