A student nurse has been asked by the mental health nursing instructor to plan educational interventions for a forensic client with whom the student has been working. Which of the following would be most important for the student nurse to include in the plan?
- A. Explanation of the genetic and neurologic factors associated with criminal behavior
- B. Description of information about pertinent legal and court proceedings that are pending
- C. Explanation of how nutrition and exercise can promote physical and mental well-being
- D. A list of community providers the client?s family members can contact for assistance and support
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Educating the client on how nutrition and exercise promote physical and mental well-being (C) is most relevant, as it empowers the client to manage health post-discharge. Genetic factors (A) are not directly actionable, legal proceedings (B) are outside nursing scope, and provider lists for family (D) are less client-focused.
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A nursing instructor is explaining to a group of nursing students that in addition to facing the stigma associated with being mentally ill, forensic clients who are mentally ill also experience the stigma associated with being a criminal. One of the students asks the instructor how the stigma associated with criminality might influence nursing care. Which response by the instructor would be most appropriate?
- A. Nurses may be reluctant to care for mentally ill criminals because of unrealistic fears for their own safety and that of their other clients.
- B. Nurses may prefer to care for forensic clients because they do not believe criminals can be mentally ill.
- C. An example would be volunteering to work only with forensic clients because of the belief that forensic clients experience only mild mental health problems.
- D. An example would be unfounded fear of what such clients might do after they are discharged from treatment.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Stigma associated with criminality can lead nurses to be reluctant to care for forensic clients due to unrealistic safety fears (A). Option B is incorrect, as nurses do not typically deny mental illness in criminals. Option C misrepresents nurses? motivations, and option D focuses on post-discharge fears, which is less relevant to direct care.
When preparing the plan of care for a forensic client, a nurse determines not to investigate the details of the crime. Which of the following best supports the rationale for the nurse?s decision?
- A. Knowing the crime details would be extremely frightening for the nurse.
- B. Denying the crime details will help to protect the nurse from undue anxiety.
- C. It will keep the nurse?s attitudes about the crime from influencing care.
- D. It will help maintain proper professional boundaries between the nurse and the client.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Avoiding crime details prevents the nurse?s attitudes about the crime from influencing care (C), ensuring unbiased, therapeutic treatment. Fear (A) and anxiety (B) are less relevant, and boundaries (D) are maintained through other professional practices, not just avoiding crime details.
A nurse is discussing follow-up care with a forensic client who is being discharged the following week. The client asks the nurse what problems to expect regarding his follow-up care. Which response by the nurse would be most appropriate?
- A. You probably won?t experience any difficulty in finding the care you need after you are discharged.
- B. You will have to find weekly transportation back to the inpatient forensic unit for your follow-up care.
- C. You may experience some difficulty in finding a community provider who will be willing to offer you care because providers generally have a long waiting list.
- D. You may experience some difficulty in finding a community provider to provide you care because of safety and liability concerns.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Forensic clients may face difficulty finding community providers due to safety and liability concerns (D) stemming from their criminal history. No difficulty (A) is overly optimistic, returning to the inpatient unit (B) is not typical, and long waiting lists (C) are less specific than safety concerns.
A nurse is working with a forensic client on early recognition. On which area would the nurse and client focus?
- A. Medication side effects
- B. Aggressive behavior signals
- C. Violations of informed consent
- D. Discharge needs
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Early recognition focuses on identifying aggressive behavior signals (B) to prevent escalation in forensic clients. Medication side effects (A), informed consent (C), and discharge needs (D) are important but not the primary focus of early recognition training.
A client with mental illness and arrested has been found to be unfit to stand trial, and the client is admitted to a forensic mental health facility. The nurse understands that the client can be hospitalized for up to which duration to become fit?
- A. 3 months
- B. 6 months
- C. 1 year
- D. 5 years
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Clients found unfit to stand trial may be hospitalized for up to 1 year (C) to restore competency, as per typical U.S. legal standards, with extensions possible if needed. Shorter durations (A, B) are insufficient, and 5 years (D) is excessive unless specified by the court.
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