A client diagnosed with borderline personality disorder brings up a conflict with the staff in a community meeting and develops a following of clients who unreasonably demand modification of unit rules. How can the nursing staff best handle this situation?
Maintain consistency of care by open communication to avoid staff manipulation
Maintain unit order by the application of autocratic leadership
Allow the clients to apply the democratic process when developing unit rules
Allow the client spokesperson to verbalize concerns during a unit staff meeting
The Correct Answer is A
A. Maintain consistency of care by open communication to avoid staff manipulation: This is the correct answer. Borderline personality disorder (BPD) clients may engage in splitting behaviors, which involve polarized views of staff as either all good or all bad. Maintaining consistency of care and open communication can help prevent manipulation and ensure fair and transparent interactions.
B. Maintain unit order by the application of autocratic leadership: Autocratic leadership, characterized by a top-down approach with limited input from others, may not be the most effective strategy in this situation. It may lead to resistance from clients and potentially escalate the conflict.
C. Allow the clients to apply the democratic process when developing unit rules: While democratic processes are generally beneficial, allowing clients to unreasonably demand modifications of unit rules without considering the overall impact on the therapeutic environment may not be appropriate. It's important to balance client involvement with maintaining a structured and therapeutic milieu.
D. Allow the client spokesperson to verbalize concerns during a unit staff meeting: While it's important to provide a platform for clients to express concerns, allowing a spokesperson to verbalize concerns during a staff meeting should be done in a manner that maintains order and follows the therapeutic goals of the unit. It should not involve unreasonably demanding modifications without a careful consideration of the impact on the overall treatment milieu.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
A. Use clear, calm statements and a confident physical stance:
This is the most appropriate choice. Clear and calm communication, along with a confident physical stance, can help to de-escalate the situation. It demonstrates assertiveness and can potentially prevent further escalation of violence.
B. Provide objective evidence that violence is unwarranted:
While providing objective evidence may be helpful in some situations, individuals with paranoid personality disorder may not respond well to attempts to prove that their perceptions are unwarranted. It could potentially escalate the situation.
C. Empathize with the client's paranoid perceptions:
While empathy is important in communication, empathizing with paranoid perceptions in a way that validates or reinforces them may not be the best approach. It could inadvertently validate the client's distorted thoughts and potentially escalate the situation.
D. Initially restrain the client to maintain safety:
Physical restraint should be a last resort and used only when the safety of the client or others is at immediate risk. Initial restraint can escalate aggression and may not be the most appropriate intervention in the early stages of a violent episode.
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
A. Disturbed sensory perception: While the client is experiencing disturbed sensory perception (auditory hallucinations), the priority is to address the potential harm to others, which is better captured by the "Risk for violence: directed toward others" diagnosis.
B. Risk for violence: directed toward others: This diagnosis is the priority in this situation because the client is expressing homicidal thoughts directed toward a specific target (the president). Ensuring the safety of the client and others is the primary concern.
C. Altered thought processes: Altered thought processes may be evident in psychotic disorders, but the immediate concern is the risk of violence. Addressing altered thought processes would be part of the overall care plan, but it may not be the immediate priority in this case.
D. Risk for injury: While the client may be at risk for injury, the specific concern mentioned by the client is the potential harm to others (the president). Therefore, the "Risk for violence: directed toward others" diagnosis takes precedence.
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