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A woman, abducted and raped at gunpoint by an unknown assailant, was found confused and disoriented. The nurse makes these observations about the patient: talking rapidly in disjointed phrases, unable to concentrate, indecisive when asked to make simple decisions. What is the patient's level of anxiety?
- A. Weak
- B. Mild
- C. Moderate
- D. Severe
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D: Severe. The patient's symptoms of talking rapidly, inability to concentrate, and indecisiveness are indicative of severe anxiety. Rapid speech and disjointed phrases suggest heightened arousal, while the inability to concentrate and make decisions point to severe impairment in cognitive functioning. These symptoms align with the DSM-5 criteria for severe anxiety, which includes extreme levels of distress and impairment in daily functioning. Weak (A), mild (B), and moderate (C) levels of anxiety would not typically manifest in such severe cognitive and behavioral symptoms.
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The client tells the nurse, 'I thought my psychiatrist was the best doctor in the world. I thought he understood me completely. Now, I hate him! He doesn't understand me at all. He's just dumping me to go on a 2-week vacation.' The nurse assesses the client's description of feelings about the physician as evidence of the use of:
- A. Splitting
- B. Projective identification
- C. Isolation of affect
- D. Dissociation
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: Splitting. Splitting is a defense mechanism where a person sees things as all good or all bad, leading to extreme shifts in perception. In this case, the client initially viewed the psychiatrist as the best doctor but now hates him completely due to feeling abandoned. This sudden shift from idealization to devaluation is characteristic of splitting.
Choice B: Projective identification involves attributing one's own unacceptable feelings or traits onto another. This is not evident in the client's description.
Choice C: Isolation of affect refers to separating emotions from their source. The client is expressing strong emotions towards the psychiatrist, not isolating them.
Choice D: Dissociation involves a disruption in consciousness, memory, identity, or perception. The client is not displaying symptoms of dissociation in this scenario.
A history reveals that a patient virtually stopped eating 5 months ago and lost 25% of body weight. The nurse says, 'Describe what you think about your present weight and how you look.' Which response would be most consistent with anorexia nervosa?
- A. I'm fat and ugly.'
- B. What I think about myself is my business.'
- C. I'm grossly underweight, but I cover it well.'
- D. None of the above.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A. This response is most consistent with anorexia nervosa because it reflects a distorted body image common in individuals with this condition. Anorexia nervosa is characterized by an intense fear of gaining weight and a distorted body image, leading to extreme weight loss and restrictive eating habits. Choice B suggests a lack of insight or denial, which is not typical of anorexia nervosa. Choice C acknowledges being underweight but does not reflect the negative body image associated with anorexia nervosa. Choice D is incorrect as option A aligns with the characteristic body image distortion seen in anorexia nervosa.
To plan effective interventions, the nurse should understand that the underlying reason a patient with paranoid personality disorder is so critical of others probably lies in the patient's:
- A. need to control all aspects of the world around him.
- B. use of intellectualization to protect against anxiety.
- C. inflexible view of the environment and the people in it.
- D. projection of blame for his own shortcomings onto others.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D because paranoid personality disorder is characterized by distrust and suspicion of others, leading individuals to project their own negative traits onto others (projection). This defense mechanism helps them avoid accepting their own shortcomings. Option A is incorrect because the focus is on control, not blame. Option B is incorrect as intellectualization is a defense mechanism that involves avoiding emotions by focusing on rational aspects. Option C is incorrect as it refers to rigidity and not projection of blame. In summary, projection of blame onto others is the underlying reason for the critical behavior in paranoid personality disorder.
A 19-year-old client is admitted for the second time in 9 months and is acutely psychotic with a diagnosis of undifferentiated schizophrenia. The client sits alone rubbing her arms and smiling. She tells the nurse her thoughts cause earthquakes and that the world is burning. The nurse assesses the primary deficit associated with the client's condition as:
- A. Altered mood states
- B. Disturbed thinking
- C. Social isolation
- D. Poor impulse control
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: Disturbed thinking. This is because the client's belief that her thoughts cause earthquakes and the world is burning indicates a break from reality, a hallmark of psychosis in schizophrenia. This demonstrates disorganized and illogical thinking, a key symptom of disturbed thinking. The other choices are incorrect because: A) Altered mood states typically refer to emotional disturbances, which are not the primary deficit in this scenario; C) Social isolation is a consequence of the client's symptoms but not the primary deficit; D) Poor impulse control is not the primary deficit in this case as the client's behavior is more indicative of disorganized thinking.
The caregiver for a client with moderate to severe dementia tells the nurse, 'I'm exhausted. He wanders at night instead of sleeping, so I get no rest. I'm afraid to leave him during the day, so I have to take him to the grocery store and to the laundromat. When I'm busy there, he often wanders off. Still, I have to do it all.' The nurse recognizes the need to provide teaching for this caregiver. An appropriate outcome is that the caregiver will:
- A. Develop strategies to ensure the client's safety.
- B. Seek respite care to get a break.
- C. Join a support group for caregivers.
- D. None of the above.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: Develop strategies to ensure the client's safety. This is the most appropriate outcome as it directly addresses the caregiver's concerns of the client wandering and ensures their safety. By developing strategies such as installing door alarms, creating a safe sleeping environment, and establishing a routine, the caregiver can mitigate the risks associated with wandering behavior.
Summary:
- B: Seek respite care to get a break: While respite care is important for caregiver well-being, it does not directly address the safety concerns of the client wandering.
- C: Join a support group for caregivers: While support groups can be beneficial for emotional support, they may not provide immediate solutions to ensure the client's safety.