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
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.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
Choice A reason: Suggesting immediate grief counseling assumes the partner needs professional help without exploring their feelings, potentially dismissing their current emotional state. It’s directive rather than supportive, lacking empathy for the expressed guilt. This response skips validation, a key initial step, making it less therapeutic at this moment.
Choice B reason: Sharing personal grief normalizes the experience but shifts focus to the nurse, not the partner’s unique feelings of guilt. It risks minimizing their specific pain by generalizing it as part of grieving. This self-referential response lacks client-centeredness, reducing its effectiveness in addressing their concern.
Choice C reason: Acknowledging the difficulty of guilt validates the partner’s emotions, fostering a therapeutic connection without judgment. It invites further expression, aligning with active listening in grief support. This empathetic, open-ended response prioritizes their experience, making it the most appropriate and supportive choice here.
Choice D reason: Telling the partner not to feel guilty dismisses their emotions, implying their care was sufficient without evidence. It shuts down discussion, offering reassurance over exploration, which can feel invalidating. This directive response lacks sensitivity to their grief process, making it less suitable.
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
Choice A reason: A WBC count of 6,000/mm³ is within normal range (5,000-10,000), not indicating issues like agranulocytosis, a rare risperidone risk. It’s expected in schizophrenia treatment unless infection or drug effects alter it. This doesn’t warrant notification, as it’s unremarkable.
Choice B reason: Blood glucose at 256 mg/dL exceeds normal (74-106), signaling hyperglycemia, a risperidone side effect linked to metabolic syndrome. In schizophrenia, this risks diabetes, requiring urgent provider action—diet, meds, or monitoring. This abnormality demands reporting, making it correct.
Choice C reason: Sodium at 140 mEq/L is normal (136-145), not suggesting hyponatremia or other imbalances from risperidone. It’s a stable finding in schizophrenia care, needing no intervention. This routine result doesn’t require provider notification here.
Choice D reason: Platelets at 250,000/mm³ are normal (150,000-400,000), not indicating thrombocytopenia or clotting issues with risperidone. It’s a safe level in schizophrenia treatment, requiring no action. This finding is benign, so it doesn’t need reporting.
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