Nokea
What is the most helpful response for a nurse to make when a patient being treated as an outpatient states, 'I am considering suicide.'?
- A. I'm glad you shared this. Please do not worry. We will handle it together.'
- B. I think you should admit yourself to the hospital to get help.'
- C. We need to talk about the good things you have to live for.'
- D. Bringing this up is a very positive action on your part.'
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: This response gives the patient reinforcement and validation for making a positive response rather than acting out the suicidal impulse. It gives neither advice nor false reassurance, and it does not imply stereotypes such as, 'You have a lot to live for.' It uses the patient's ambivalence and sets the stage for more realistic problem-solving strategies.
You may also like to solve these questions
When assessing a patient's plan for suicide, what aspect has priority?
- A. Patient's financial and educational status
- B. Patient's insight into suicidal motivation
- C. Availability of means and lethality of method
- D. Quality and availability of patient's social support
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: If a person has definite plans that include choosing a method of suicide readily available, and if the method is one that is lethal (i.e., will cause the person to die with little probability for intervention), the suicide risk is considered high. These areas provide a better indication of risk than the areas mentioned in the other options.
Which statement by a patient during an assessment interview should alert the nurse to the patient's need for immediate, active intervention?
- A. I am mixed up, but I know I need help.'
- B. I have no one for help or support.'
- C. It is worse when you are a person of color.'
- D. I tried to get attention before I shot myself.'
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Lack of social support and social isolation increase the suicide risk. The willingness to seek help lowers the risk. Being a person of color does not suggest a higher risk; more whites commit suicide than do individuals of other racial groups. Attention seeking is not correlated with a higher risk of suicide.
A nurse assesses the health status of soldiers returning from a war zone. Screening for which health problems will be a priority?
- A. Schizophrenia
- B. Eating disorder
- C. Traumatic brain injury
- D. Oppositional defiant disorder
- E. Posttraumatic stress disorder
Correct Answer: C,E
Rationale: The incidence of TBI is very high in veterans and this problem is associated with an increased risk of dying by suicide compared with people without brain injuries. Many soldiers also have posttraumatic stress disorder, which contributes to increased suicide risk. The incidence of disorders identified in the distractors would be expected to parallel the general population.
Which understanding about individuals who attempt suicide will help a nurse plan the care for a suicidal patient?
- A. Every suicidal person is mentally ill.
- B. Every suicidal person is intent on dying.
- C. Every suicidal person is cognitively impaired.
- D. Every suicidal person experiencing hopelessness.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Hopelessness is the characteristic common among people who attempt suicide. The incorrect options reflect myths about suicide. Not all who attempt suicide are intent on dying. Not all are mentally ill or cognitively impaired.
A nurse assesses five newly hospitalized patients. Which patients have the highest suicide risk?
- A. An 82-year-old white man
- B. A 17-year-old white female adolescent
- C. A 39-year-old African-American man
- D. A 29-year-old African-American woman
- E. A 22-year-old man with a traumatic brain injury
Correct Answer: A,B,E
Rationale: Whites have suicide rates almost twice those of nonwhites, and the rate is particularly high for older adult men, adolescents, and young adults. Other high-risk groups include young African-American men, Native-American men, older Asian Americans, and persons with traumatic brain injury.