Test Board

Which of the following questions would be most helpful in beginning an initial assessment interview for a patient who has just been admitted to a psychiatric inpatient unit?

A patient is being admitted to the psychiatric unit. While explaining his reason for seeking admission, he describes how his 32-year-old son recently died of a heart attack. Which response by the nurse would enhance the effectiveness of this interview?

A patient was admitted to the hospital after a suicide attempt made after his daughter was killed in an automobile accident during which he had been driving and survived with only minor injuries. Even though the accident was unavoidable, he feels responsible. During the assessment interview, the patient begins to describe the last conversation he had with his daughter before he lost control of the automobile. As he speaks about his daughter, his voice trembles, and a silent tear rolls down his face. He makes a visible attempt to straighten up and smiles superficially at the nurse, stating, 'I?ll get over this. I just need to keep a stiff upper lip. I think all I need to do is stay overnight. I?ll be as good as new by tomorrow.' Which response by the nurse would be most appropriate?

After assessing a patient, the nurse noted the following: he was tearful, he tried to kill himself before coming into the hospital, he had no immediate plan for another suicide attempt, he was unable to concentrate, and he reported having trouble sleeping and having little or no appetite. The nurse also noted that the patient?s appearance was unkempt, that he spoke in a low monotone, and that he was unable to establish and maintain eye contact. Based on this information, which nursing diagnoses would be the most appropriate?

A staff nurse on a psychiatric unit knows that patients often have trouble sleeping because of their psychiatric conditions. Which of the following would reflect a psychiatric nursing intervention to appropriately address this problem?