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A client with a borderline personality disorder tells the nurse, 'My doctor tells me there's something wrong with the hard wiring of my brain, and that's why I'm so impulsive and get so many mood swings. He said he's going to prescribe some medication.' Being aware of current practice guidelines, the nurse will prepare a teaching plan for:
- A. Lithium
- B. Fluoxetine
- C. Lorazepam
- D. Haloperidol
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: Fluoxetine. In the context of borderline personality disorder, fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), is often used to manage symptoms such as mood swings and impulsivity. SSRIs help regulate serotonin levels in the brain, which can improve mood stability and reduce impulsive behaviors.
- A: Lithium is typically used for bipolar disorder, not borderline personality disorder.
- C: Lorazepam is a benzodiazepine used for anxiety or panic disorders, not specific to treating symptoms of borderline personality disorder.
- D: Haloperidol is an antipsychotic medication used for psychosis, not typically indicated for managing impulsivity or mood swings in borderline personality disorder.
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A patient with an eating disorder states, 'I heard people laughing behind me in the check-out line at the department store. I bet they thought it was hysterically funny that I gained a pound in the last few days.' The nurse documents that the patient is exhibiting which cognitive distortion related to maladaptive eating regulation responses?
- A. Magnification
- B. Personalization
- C. Overgeneralization
- D. Dichotomous thinking
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: Personalization. Personalization is a cognitive distortion where an individual takes responsibility for events that are not entirely their fault. In this scenario, the patient is attributing the laughter of people in the check-out line to being about them and their weight gain, when in reality, the laughter may have had nothing to do with them. This distortion can contribute to feelings of guilt, shame, and self-blame.
A: Magnification involves exaggerating the importance or meaning of an event, which is not evident in the scenario.
C: Overgeneralization involves making broad negative conclusions based on a single event, which is not demonstrated here.
D: Dichotomous thinking is the tendency to view situations in black and white terms, with no middle ground, which is not present in the patient's statement.
The nurse manager of a mental health center wants to improve medication adherence among the seriously mentally ill persons treated there. Which interventions are likely to help achieve this goal? Select one tha does not apply
- A. Maintain stable and consistent staff
- B. Increase the length of medication education groups
- C. Stress that without treatment, illnesses will worsen
- D. Prescribe drugs in smaller but more frequent dosages
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Trust in ones providers is a key factor in treatment adherence, and mentally ill persons can sometimes take a very long time to develop such trust; therefore, interventions which stabilize staffing allow patients to have more time with staff to develop these bonds. Ready access to prescribers allows medicine-related concerns to be addressed quickly, reducing obstacles to adherence such as side effects or ineffective dosages. Medication costs can be obstacles to adherence as well. Many SMI patients have anosognosia and do not adhere to treatment because they believe they are not ill, so telling them nonadherence will worsen an illness they do not believe they have is unlikely to be helpful. Increasing medication education is helpful only when the cause of nonadherence is a knowledge deficit. Other issues that reduce adherence, particularly anosognosia and side effects, are seldom helped by longer medication education. Requiring medication adherence to participate in other programs is coercive and unethical. Smaller, more frequent doses do not reduce side effects and make the regimen more difficult for the patient to remember.
A patient has schizophrenia and is troubled by negative symptoms, muscle stiffness, and motor restlessness. His Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) is considering changing the patient's antipsychotic medication, haloperidol (Haldol, a typical or first generation antipsychotic drug). For planning purposes, which medication can the nurse assume that the APN will probably choose?
- A. Chlorpromazine (Thorazine)
- B. Clozapine (Clozaril)
- C. Olanzapine (Zyprexa)
- D. Fluoxetine (Prozac)
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: Olanzapine (Zyprexa). Olanzapine is an atypical or second-generation antipsychotic that is effective in treating both positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. It also has a lower risk of causing extrapyramidal symptoms like muscle stiffness and motor restlessness compared to typical antipsychotics like haloperidol. Chlorpromazine (A) is a typical antipsychotic with similar side effects as haloperidol. Clozapine (B) is an atypical antipsychotic that is effective for treatment-resistant schizophrenia but is usually considered as a last resort due to its potential for serious side effects. Fluoxetine (D) is an antidepressant and not typically used as a first-line treatment for schizophrenia.
Which nursing diagnosis would be appropriate for a patient with Alzheimer disease?
- A. Disorientation related to hyperthermia
- B. Anxiety (moderate) related to dementia
- C. Disturbed sensory perception (visual) related to alcohol abuse
- D. Disturbed thought processes related to irreversible brain disorder
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D: Disturbed thought processes related to irreversible brain disorder. This nursing diagnosis is appropriate for a patient with Alzheimer's disease because Alzheimer's is characterized by cognitive decline and disturbances in thought processes due to irreversible brain changes. Disorientation related to hyperthermia (A) is not directly associated with Alzheimer's. Anxiety related to dementia (B) is a symptom of Alzheimer's, not a nursing diagnosis. Disturbed sensory perception related to alcohol abuse (C) is not relevant to a patient with Alzheimer's disease. It is crucial to focus on the specific symptoms and characteristics of Alzheimer's disease when selecting the appropriate nursing diagnosis.
A nurse assesses an elderly patient. The nurse should complete the Geriatric Depression Scale if the patient answers which question affirmatively.
- A. Would you say your mood is often sad?'
- B. Are you having any trouble with your memory?'
- C. Have you noticed an increase in your alcohol use?'
- D. Do you often experience moderate to severe pain?'
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Feeling low may be a symptom of depression. Low moods occurring with regularity should signal the need for further assessment for other symptoms of depression. The other options do not focus on mood.