An 85-year-old patient is admitted to the hospital with the diagnosis of cerebrovascular accident and depression. The symptom that is unrelated to depression would be?
- A. Crying and refusing to perform task
- B. Answering I forgot to questions
- C. Having positive self-esteem
- D. Neglecting ADLs
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: Having positive self-esteem. This is unrelated to depression as depression typically involves feelings of worthlessness and low self-esteem. A: Crying and refusing tasks, B: Answering "I forgot to" questions, and D: Neglecting ADLs are all commonly associated symptoms of depression such as apathy, memory issues, and lack of motivation for self-care. Therefore, choice C stands out as the symptom unrelated to depression due to its contradiction with the typical manifestations of the condition.
You may also like to solve these questions
When a patient asks the nurse, “How can jolting me with an electrical shock possibly do me any good?” the answer most reflective of current biologic theory would be:
- A. “ECT produces a change in brain chemistry that results in improved mood.
- B. “ECT provides you with external punishment so you can stop punishing yourself.”
- C. “ECT interrupts brain impulses that are causing hallucinations and delusions.”
- D. ECT shocks the brain into re-establishing normal electrical patterns.”
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Step 1: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a treatment for severe depression and other mental health disorders.
Step 2: Current biological theory suggests that ECT produces changes in brain chemistry, specifically neurotransmitters, leading to improved mood.
Step 3: The correct answer (A) aligns with this theory by explaining how ECT impacts brain chemistry to alleviate symptoms.
Step 4: Answer B is incorrect as ECT is not used as punishment but as a therapeutic intervention.
Step 5: Answer C is incorrect as ECT is not primarily used to interrupt brain impulses causing hallucinations and delusions.
Step 6: Answer D is incorrect as ECT does not shock the brain into re-establishing normal electrical patterns but rather affects neurotransmitter levels.
A chronically depressed and suicidal client is admitted to a psychiatric unit. The client is scheduled for electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). During the course of ECT, a nurse should recognize the continued need for which critical intervention?
- A. Suicide assessment must continue throughout the ECT course.
- B. Antidepressant medications are contraindicated throughout the ECT course.
- C. Discourage expressions of hopelessness throughout the ECT course.
- D. Encourage a high-caloric diet throughout the ECT course.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A because suicide assessment must continue throughout the ECT course to ensure the safety and well-being of the client. During ECT, the client may experience changes in mood and behavior, which could impact their risk of suicide. It is essential for the nurse to monitor and assess the client's suicidal ideation and intent regularly. This ongoing assessment helps in identifying any exacerbation of suicidal thoughts and allows for timely intervention to prevent self-harm.
Choice B is incorrect because antidepressant medications are not necessarily contraindicated throughout the ECT course. In some cases, a client may still require antidepressants in addition to ECT for optimal treatment outcomes.
Choice C is incorrect because it is important to acknowledge and validate the client's feelings of hopelessness rather than discouraging them. By addressing and exploring these feelings, the nurse can provide support and facilitate the client's emotional processing.
Choice D is incorrect because encouraging a high-caloric diet is not directly related to the critical intervention needed during
An elderly couple who lived in the same home for the past 50 years have moved into an
adult retirement center in a nearby town. Changes in lifestyle such as this couple is
experiencing should alert the nurse to the possibility of:
- A. Acute grief
- B. Traumatic grief
- C. Chronic sorrow
- D. Adventitious crisis
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D: Adventitious crisis. This type of crisis is triggered by external events such as moving to a retirement center after 50 years in the same home. The sudden change in environment can lead to distress and challenges for the elderly couple, causing an adventitious crisis. Acute grief (A) and traumatic grief (B) are typically associated with the loss of a loved one, not a change in lifestyle. Chronic sorrow (C) refers to ongoing grief related to a chronic illness or disability, which is not the case in this scenario.
The wife of a patient diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia asks: “I’ve been told that my husband’s illness is probably related to imbalanced brain chemicals. Can you be more specific?”
- A. Breakdown of dopamine produces LSD, which in large amounts produces psychosis
- B. Decreased amounts of the brain chemical dopamine explain the presence of delusions and hallucinations.
- C. An increase in the brain chemical dopamine explains the presence of delusions and hallucinations.
- D. An increase in the brain chemical dopamine explains the presence of lack of motivation and disordered affect
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: An increase in the brain chemical dopamine explains the presence of delusions and hallucinations. In paranoid schizophrenia, there is an overactivity of dopamine receptors in the brain, leading to an excess of dopamine. This excess dopamine is associated with symptoms like delusions and hallucinations. Therefore, an increase in dopamine levels is directly linked to these specific symptoms in individuals with paranoid schizophrenia.
Explanation for why the other choices are incorrect:
A: Breakdown of dopamine producing LSD does not directly relate to the symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia.
B: Decreased amounts of dopamine do not explain the presence of delusions and hallucinations in paranoid schizophrenia; it is the increase in dopamine that is associated with these symptoms.
D: An increase in dopamine is more closely related to delusions and hallucinations rather than lack of motivation and disordered affect in paranoid schizophrenia.
The nurse is assessing a child with autism. Which of the following behaviors would the nurse expect to observe?
- A. Referring to their imaginary friend, Skipper
- B. Asking to telephone my friends on the weekends
- C. Repeating, milk, milk, milk, milk until given a drink.
- D. Is insistent that a dim light be left on in the bedroom at night
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: Repeating, milk, milk, milk, milk until given a drink. This behavior is a characteristic of children with autism, known as echolalia. Echolalia is the repetition of words or phrases spoken by others, often used by individuals with autism to communicate or self-soothe. This behavior is a common feature of autism spectrum disorder and is indicative of language difficulties and communication challenges.
Choices A, B, and D are incorrect because they do not specifically relate to behaviors typically observed in children with autism. Referring to an imaginary friend (A) is not exclusive to autism, asking to telephone friends on weekends (B) is a social behavior that can be seen in children without autism, and insisting on a dim light in the bedroom (D) is a preference that does not directly relate to the core characteristics of autism.