Scrubs

Supplements and side effects quiz

Marijke DurningBy
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Think your patients aren’t taking over-the-counter supplements? Think again. More than 40% of Americans over the age of two months regularly take vitamins, minerals, or other types of dietary supplements.

And because so many of them are, we need to keep up to date on the latest news about supplements—in dietary or product form. You’re responsible for assessing your patients’ intake and watching for drug interactions, so test that supplement IQ!


1. Joint pain can make a nurse’s job quite difficult. With all the moving about you must do, you may be tempted to try a more natural route before medications. Your practitioner may suggest that you try taking ________ to help ease pain and prevent deterioration of your joints.





2. Stress, anxiety and depression can hit anyone, and if you’re working in a particularly stressful unit, you may be looking for ways to reduce those feelings. While it hasn’t been scientifically proven (yet), it’s said that if you are experiencing anxiety, you can help lessen it by eating a(n):





3. Since most nurses are women and many are entering or have passed menopause, this could be a frequent topic of conversation among your coworkers. A woman who is experiencing hot flashes as she goes through menopause may want to try supplements to reduce the discomfort. These supplements may be:





4. As nurses, we need to be careful about what we put into our body and what we may tell others when they ask for advice. Zinc is often marketed to people to help with:





5. Side effects of too much zinc consumption may include:





6. Fish oils are a good source of omega-3, which seems to be very good for the human body for a myriad of reasons. In fact, many patients who are admitted take fish oils and may continue to do so while they are in the hospital. Which fish is a better source of omega-3 than the others?





7. Women who are at risk of osteoporosis may be told they should increase their calcium intake. What is the usual recommended daily dose of calcium for men and premenopausal women?





8. Doctors and researchers have recognized that calcium is not fully beneficial by itself. They now also recommend that women take _________ in addition to calcium supplements.





9. In a work population of women, it’s not only common to find some going through menopause, it’s common to find pregnant nurses. It is known that healthy levels of folic acid in women when they become pregnant helps reduce the chances of abnormalities in the baby. What abnormalities are these?





10. Migraines can keep a good nurse off his or her feet for a couple of days. If you don’t find relief from medications or you prefer to try the supplement route first, you may be tempted to try using feverfew. However, you should not take feverfew if you:







Marijke Durning
Marijke is a professional writer who began her working career as a registered nurse over 25 years ago. After working in clinical areas ranging from rehab to intensive care, as a floor nurse to a supervisor, she found she could combine her extensive health knowledge with her love of writing. Although she has been published in a wide variety of publications for professionals and the general public, her passion is writing for the every day person to promote health literacy.

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