Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Practice Questions Related

Review Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Practice Questions related questions and content

An inpatient client is newly diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder (DID) stemming from severe childhood sexual abuse. Which nursing intervention takes priority?

  • A. Encourage exploration of sexual abuse
  • B. Encourage guided imagery
  • C. Establish trust and rapport
  • D. Administer antianxiety medications
Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: Establish trust and rapport. This is the priority because building a therapeutic relationship is essential for effective treatment of DID. Trust and rapport are foundational for the client to feel safe and supported in exploring and processing traumatic experiences. Encouraging exploration of sexual abuse (Option A) may be overwhelming and retraumatizing without a solid therapeutic alliance. Guided imagery (Option B) might not be appropriate at this stage as the client needs to establish trust first. Administering antianxiety medications (Option D) alone does not address the root cause or provide the necessary support for the client's complex trauma history.