Unit 10 Chapter 20 Radiation Patient Teaching

Question 1

Patient teachinng radiation

Answer 1

Assign the patient to a private room with a private bath.
* Place a “Caution: Radioactive Material” sign on the door of the patient’s room.
* If portable lead shields are used, place them between the patient and the door.
* Keep the door to the patient’s room closed as much as possible.
* Wear a dosimeter film badge at all times while caring for patients with radioactive implants. The badge offers no protection but measures a person’s exposure to radiation. Each person caring for the patient should have a separate dosimeter to calculate his or her specific radiation exposure.
* Wear a lead apron while providing care. Always keep the front of the apron facing the source of radiation (do not turn your back toward the patient).
* If you are a empting to conceive, do not perform direct patient care, regardless of whether you are male or female.
* Nurses who are pregnant should not care for these patients; do not allow women who are pregnant or children younger than 16 years to visit.
* Limit each visitor to 1 half-hour per day. Be sure visitors stay at least 6 feet from the source.
* Never touch the radioactive source with bare hands. In the rare instance that it is dislodged, use long-handled forceps to retrieve it. Deposit the radioactive source in the lead container kept in the patient’s room.
* After the source is removed, dispose of dressings and linens in the usual manner. Other equipment can be removed from the room at any time without special precautions and does not pose a hazard to other people.

Question 2

Radiation Skin teaching

Answer 2

• Wash the irradiated area gently each day with either water or a mild soap and water as prescribed by your radiation therapy team. Rinse soap thoroughly from your skin.
• Avoid friction to the area being treated. Use your hand rather than a washcloth.
• If ink or dye markings are present to identify exactly where the beam of radiation is to be focused, take care not to remove them.
• Dry the treatment area with pa ing rather than rubbing motions; use a clean, soft towel or cloth.
• Use only powders, ointments, lotions, or creams that are prescribed by the radiation oncology department on your skin at the radiation site.
• Wear soft clothing over the skin at the radiation site.
• Avoid wearing belts, buckles, straps, or any type of clothing that binds or rubs the skin at the radiation site.
• Avoid exposure of the irradiated area to the sun:
• Protect this area by wearing clothing over it.
• Try to go outdoors in the early morning or evening to avoid the more intense sun rays.
• When outdoors, stay under awnings, umbrellas, and other forms of shade during the times when the sun’s rays are most intense (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
• Avoid heat exposure.