A nurse in a mental health clinic is assessing a client who has borderline personality disorder. Which of the following findings should the nurse expect?

Inability to maintain employment

Avoidance of interpersonal relationships

Reluctance to discard worthless objects

Intense efforts to avoid abandonment

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is D

Choice A reason: Inability to maintain employment can occur in BPD due to impulsivity, but it’s not a defining feature. Other disorders like depression also cause this, lacking specificity. BPD’s core is relational instability, not job issues, so this isn’t the expected finding.

Choice B reason: Avoidance of relationships fits schizoid or avoidant personality, not BPD, where clients crave connection despite turmoil. BPD involves intense, unstable bonds, not withdrawal. This contradicts the disorder’s hallmark, making it an incorrect expectation.

Choice C reason: Reluctance to discard objects defines hoarding disorder, not BPD, which focuses on emotional and relational chaos, not possessions. There’s no link to this behavior in BPD criteria. This finding misaligns with the condition, so it’s not expected.

Choice D reason: Intense efforts to avoid abandonment—real or perceived—are a BPD diagnostic criterion, driving clinginess or rage. It reflects fear of loss, central to the disorder’s instability. This is a classic, expected finding, making it the correct choice.

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Correct Answer is B

Explanation

Choice A reason: Saying everyone feels down minimizes the client’s action—giving away belongings—a potential suicide warning in depression. It dismisses severity, lacking empathy or assessment. This generic response risks missing critical intent, so it’s not therapeutic or safe.

Choice B reason: Asking about recent feelings invites the client to elaborate, assessing depression depth and suicide risk after giving away belongings, a red flag. It’s open-ended, empathetic, and aligns with safety screening in MDD, making it the most appropriate response.

Choice C reason: Asking why about belongings focuses narrowly, potentially shutting down broader discussion of feelings or intent in depression. It risks defensiveness, missing the bigger picture of suicide risk. This less effective probe isn’t the priority over general assessment.

Choice D reason: Suggesting a support group assumes a solution without exploring the client’s state, bypassing immediate risk evaluation after a concerning act. It’s premature, not addressing potential danger in MDD. This lacks urgency, so it’s not the best choice.

A. Initiating hospice care services when the client has 6 months or less to live B. Improving cognitive status with transcranial magnetic stimulation C. Controlling anxiety with barbiturate medications D. Delaying cognitive impairment with NMDA receptor agonist medications

Correct Answer is D

Explanation

Choice A reason: Hospice care applies to terminal stages (6 months or less), not a newly diagnosed Alzheimer’s client, who may live years. It’s end-of-life support, not a treatment to alter disease progression. This option is premature and irrelevant to early management, so it’s incorrect.

Choice B reason: Transcranial magnetic stimulation treats depression, not Alzheimer’s cognitive decline directly. It stimulates brain activity but lacks evidence for improving memory or cognition in this disease. This experimental approach doesn’t fit standard care, making it an unsuitable teaching point.

Choice C reason: Barbiturates sedate for seizures or anesthesia, not anxiety in Alzheimer’s, risking dependency and worsening cognition. Benzodiazepines are preferred if needed, but neither is a core treatment. This outdated, risky option doesn’t address the disease, so it’s not appropriate.

Choice D reason: NMDA receptor agonists like memantine slow cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s by regulating glutamate, reducing excitotoxicity. This FDA-approved treatment delays memory loss, a key teaching point for new diagnoses. It aligns with disease management, making it the correct choice.

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A nurse in a mental health clinic is assessing a client who has borderline personality disorder. Which of the following findings should the nurse expect?

Nursing Test Bank

Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

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Correct Answer is B

Explanation

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Correct Answer is D

Explanation

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