Question

A client diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) infection states, "i'm afraid of gaining weight, so i always supplement my diet with vitamins." which response by the nurse is appropriate?

Answer 1

The nurse should tell the patient that eating a variety of healthy food is the best source of vitamins. This is should be told by the nurse in a nice and emphatic manner, especially in this case wherein patients diagnosed with HIV are particularly emotionally sensitive. While this is true, the nurse should not advise the patient to stop taking his or her supplements; especially being diagnosed with HIV, his or her immune system is very frail and needs more than the usual nutrients compared to the normal population.