A client who has coronary artery disease tells the nurse he is afraid of dying from a heart attack. Which of the following responses should the nurse make?

"Perhaps you should discuss this with your physician."

"Of course, you aren't going to die, at least not in the immediate future."

"I recommend you exercise daily and avoid smoking to decrease your risk."

"Tell me more about these fears of dying from a heart attack.".

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is D

Choice A rationale:

Deflecting the client's concerns to the physician dismisses the client's immediate need for emotional support and therapeutic communication.

It can hinder the development of a trusting nurse-client relationship.

The nurse is responsible for addressing the client's psychosocial needs, not solely deferring them to other healthcare professionals.

Choice B rationale:

Offering false reassurance is inappropriate and potentially harmful. It can erode trust if the client's fears are later realized.

It minimizes the client's legitimate concerns and invalidates their emotional experience.

Choice C rationale:

While lifestyle modifications are essential for managing coronary artery disease, providing unsolicited advice at this moment disregards the client's emotional distress.

It prioritizes physical health over the client's psychological well-being. It can be perceived as dismissive of the client's fears and concerns.

Choice D rationale:

Inviting the client to elaborate on their fears demonstrates active listening and encourages therapeutic communication. It validates the client's concerns and shows empathy for their emotional experience.

It provides an opportunity to assess the client's understanding of their condition and identify specific fears or misconceptions. It establishes a foundation for exploring coping mechanisms and providing appropriate support and education.

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Correct Answer is A

Explanation

Choice A rationale:

1. Understanding OCD:

OCD is a chronic mental health condition characterized by intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions).

Individuals with OCD feel compelled to perform rituals to relieve anxiety or prevent perceived harm, even if they recognize the behaviors as excessive or irrational.

Rituals can consume significant time and interfere with daily functioning.

2. Rationale for Choice A:

Acknowledges the client's needs: Planning for rituals demonstrates understanding and acceptance of the client's experience, fostering trust and rapport.

Reduces anxiety: Allowing time for rituals can temporarily reduce anxiety, making the client more receptive to other interventions.

Gradual approach: It's a stepping stone towards Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), the gold-standard treatment for OCD.

Enhances control: Scheduling rituals can help the client feel more in control, reducing the urge to engage in them compulsively.

3. Addressing potential concerns:

Reinforcing rituals: While there's a possibility of temporarily reinforcing rituals, it's a necessary first step to build trust and engagement in therapy.

Interfering with treatment: Scheduling rituals is a part of a comprehensive treatment plan that includes ERP and other therapies to address the underlying causes of OCD.

4. Importance of individualized care:

The specific approach to planning for rituals should be tailored to the client's unique needs, preferences, and severity of symptoms.

Collaboration with the client is essential to ensure their active participation in treatment. I'll now address the rationales for the incorrect choices:

Choice B rationale:

Setting strict limits on behaviors can be counterproductive: Triggers anxiety and distress

Impedes trust and therapeutic alliance Diminishes sense of control

Heightens resistance to treatment

Choice C rationale:

Confronting the client about the senselessness of rituals is ineffective and potentially harmful: Exacerbates anxiety and shame

Alienates the client

Disregards the involuntary nature of OCD Undermines motivation for treatment Choice D rationale:

Isolating the client is unethical and detrimental:

Increases distress and loneliness Impedes therapeutic interactions Reinforces negative self-perceptions

Lacks evidence of efficacy in OCD treatment

A. Fear of rejection from staff. B. Narcissistic Personality Disorder. C. A side effect of antidepressant medication. D. Attempt to reduce anxiety.

Correct Answer is D

Explanation

Choice A rationale: Fear of rejection from staff is not typically a driving factor for the repetitive behaviors seen in OCD. While social anxiety can be a component of many mental health disorders, the compulsions in OCD are usually driven by intrusive thoughts or fears that are specific to the individual, rather than fears about social rejection.

Choice B rationale: Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) is a separate condition from OCD. While individuals with NPD may exhibit certain repetitive behaviors, these are typically driven by a need for admiration and a lack of empathy for others, rather than the intrusive thoughts and fears that drive the compulsions in OCD12.

Choice C rationale: While certain medications can have side effects that might cause unusual behaviors, the repetitive behaviors (compulsions) seen in OCD are not typically a side effect of antidepressant medications. In fact, certain types of antidepressants are often used in the treatment of OCD12.

Choice D rationale: The repetitive behaviors observed in individuals with OCD, such as repeatedly applying, removing, and reapplying makeup, are indeed attempts to reduce anxiety. These individuals experience intrusive thoughts, fears, or images (obsessions) that cause significant anxiety. The repetitive behaviors (compulsions) are performed in an attempt to alleviate the distress caused by these obsessions. Despite the temporary relief, the individual often ends up trapped in a cycle of obsessions and compulsions.

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A client who has coronary artery disease tells the nurse he is afraid of dying from a heart attack. Which of the following responses should the nurse make?

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A nurse in a mental health facility is planning care for a client who has obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and is newly admitted to the unit. Which of the following actions should the mental health nurse plan to take regarding the client's compulsive behaviors?

Correct Answer is A

Explanation

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Correct Answer is D

Explanation

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