Crying, a clinic patient explained that she knew she had this breast l

Crying, a clinic patient explained that she knew she had this breast lump because she had spread nasty gossip about her neighbor. Which of the following actions by the nurse would likely be the most successful?

a. Explain the causes of a breast lump and the usual treatments
b. Refer the woman for an immediate biopsy to determine the status of the lump
c. Suggest that she has to repent and as much as possible undo her sin, but also make an appointment for a biopsy
d. Suggest that she has to repent, apologize to her neighbor, and pray for forgiveness

ESSAYBID ANSWER

ANS: C
The woman has expressed a magico-religious perspective on illness. Because evil has caused her illness, she must undo the evil. However, the nurse, as a practitioner of the biomedical perspective, must also arrange for a biopsy as soon as possible so treatment can be begin.