Nokea
A client becomes upset when the physician diagnoses diabetes mellitus as the cause of current signs and symptoms. The client tells the nurse, "This must be a mistake. No one in my family has ever had diabetes." Based on this statement, the nurse suspects the client is using which coping mechanism?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The client's response of stating that diabetes cannot be possible because it is not prevalent in the family indicates that the client is using the coping mechanism of denial. Denial is a common defense mechanism where individuals refuse to accept reality or facts that are too uncomfortable for them to acknowledge. In this situation, the client is denying the diagnosis of diabetes as a way to cope with the distressing news, hoping that it may not be true because it has not affected their family members in the past. Recognizing this coping mechanism is important for the nurse to provide support and education to help the client come to terms with the diagnosis and start managing the condition effectively.