Question

Mrs. A has long hair that is tangled in the back. To remove the tangle, the nurse aide should:

A. hold the tangled section of the hair tight and begin combing at the end, working upward in short strokes.
B. wet the hair thoroughly before attempting to remove the tangle.
C. cut the tangled section carefully with scissors.
D. wet only the tangled section of hair, then begin brushing it from the top, working downward in long, even strokes.

Answer 1

To detangle hair, the nurse aide should hold the tangle tight and comb from the end upwards in short strokes to avoid pain and damage.

Step-by-step explanation:

To remove a tangle from Mrs. A's hair, the nurse aide should not tie back long hair or concern herself with lab safety rules, such as wearing closed toe shoes or clear lab benches. These are unrelated to the care of hair. Instead, the appropriate approach is to hold the tangled section of hair tight and begin combing at the end, working upward in short strokes. This method reduces pain and damage to the hair. Wetting hair can make it more fragile and prone to breaking, so wetting is not the first choice for detangling. Cutting the hair or brushing it from the top downward is likely to increase tangles and cause discomfort.