Question

Nurse is providing teaching to a patient about to use ethinyl estradiol/norelgestromin. Nurse should identify that which of the following statements by the patient indicates understanding of teaching?

A) "I should take this medication on an empty stomach."
B) "It's safe to smoke while using this medication."
C) "I will change the patch once a month."
D) "I don't need to use any additional form of contraception."

Answer 1

The correct understanding of the patch's usage involves changing it weekly for 3 weeks and having a no-patch week for menstruation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The patient's statement that indicates an understanding of the nurse's teaching on the use of the combination of ethinyl estradiol/norelgestromin, commonly known as the birth control patch, would be: "I will change the patch once a week for 3 weeks and not use a patch on the fourth week to have a period." This is because the birth control patch is designed to be used in this manner to mimic a woman's natural menstrual cycle and prevent ovulation. It is not required to be taken on an empty stomach, smoking is not safe while using any combination of estrogen and progestin birth control due to the increased risk of blood clots, and it is generally not recommended to rely solely on the patch as the only form of contraception.