A nurse is assessing a client with borderline personality disorder. Which question would be most appropriate to assess the client?s level of impulsivity?
- A. What things bother you and make you feel happy?
- B. Have you ever felt sorry after acting as you did on the spur of the moment?
- C. How do you view other people around you?
- D. Have you ever felt like you were separated from your body?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Asking about regret after spontaneous actions (B) directly assesses impulsivity, a core BPD trait. Questions about emotions (A), perceptions of others (C), or dissociation (D) are less specific to impulsivity.
You may also like to solve these questions
A group of nursing students is reviewing possible risk factors for development of borderline personality disorder. The students demonstrate understanding of the information when they identify which of the following as a risk factor? Select all that apply.
- A. Childhood sexual abuse
- B. Parental loss
- C. Substance abuse
- D. Family history
- E. Genetics
Correct Answer: A,B,D,E
Rationale: Risk factors for BPD include childhood sexual abuse (A), parental loss (B), family history (D), and genetics (E), reflecting environmental and hereditary influences. Substance abuse (C) is a common comorbidity but not a primary risk factor for developing BPD.
A nurse is engaged in role-playing with a client with borderline personality disorder to assist the client in learning how to communicate effectively. Which of the following would the nurse encourage the client to use? Select all that apply.
- A. Me statements
- B. Validating perceptions with others
- C. Paraphrasing before responding
- D. Listening passively
- E. Compromising
Correct Answer: B,C,E
Rationale: Effective communication in BPD includes validating others? perceptions (B), paraphrasing before responding (C), and compromising (E) to foster mutual understanding. ?Me? statements (A) are less specific than ?I? statements, and passive listening (D) is less effective than active engagement.
The nurse is assessing a client who has borderline personality disorder. Which of the following would be a priority?
- A. Nutrition patterns
- B. Personal hygiene practices
- C. Physical functioning
- D. Somatic complaints
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Physical functioning (C) is a priority in BPD assessment due to the risk of self-harm or impulsivity affecting safety and health. Nutrition (A), hygiene (B), and somatic complaints (D) are important but secondary, as they are less immediately tied to life-threatening risks like self-injury.
The nurse has explained some of the biologic theories of causation to a client diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and his family. The nurse determines that the client and family have understood the instructions when they state which of the following?
- A. The disorder may be caused by increased serotonin activity.
- B. The disorder is caused by decreased dopamine activity in my brain.
- C. A frontal lobe dysfunction may be causing this condition.
- D. A decrease in hormonal substances increases the risk for this illness.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Frontal lobe dysfunction (C), particularly in areas like the prefrontal cortex, is implicated in BPD due to its role in emotional regulation and impulsivity. Increased serotonin activity (A) is not typically associated, decreased dopamine (B) is more relevant to other disorders, and hormonal decreases (D) lack specific evidence in BPD causation.
A client with borderline personality disorder tells the nurse, I?m afraid to get on a train because we?ll probably get into a wreck. Which response by the nurse would be most appropriate?
- A. Have you had a bad experience riding a train?
- B. What are the chances of that actually happening?
- C. Now you know that won?t happen.
- D. Have you thought about going by automobile?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Challenging the irrational fear by asking about the likelihood of a train wreck (B) gently encourages reality-testing without dismissing the client?s anxiety, a therapeutic approach in BPD. Asking about past experiences (A) may reinforce fear, dismissing the fear (C) is invalidating, and suggesting alternatives (D) avoids addressing the fear.
Nokea