A nurse is caring for a client who has borderline personality disorder. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?
Maintain consistency in assigning health care staff for the client.
Demonstrate a sympathetic attitude toward the client when providing care.
Provide consistent boundaries for the client.
Encourage the use of countertransference for the client.
The Correct Answer is C
A. While consistency in staff assignment can be beneficial in many situations, clients with borderline personality disorder often exhibit splitting behavior, where they may see people as all good or all bad. It's more important to provide consistent boundaries rather than focusing solely on staff consistency, as this might inadvertently reinforce splitting behavior.
B. While being empathetic is important in nursing care, being overly sympathetic might reinforce dependency or manipulative behaviors commonly seen in borderline personality disorder. It's crucial to maintain a professional, empathetic, yet firm approach that includes setting and maintaining boundaries.
C. Clients with borderline personality disorder often struggle with boundary issues and can exhibit behaviors such as manipulation, splitting, and impulsivity. Providing consistent boundaries helps create a sense of stability and predictability, which is therapeutic and helps the client learn appropriate interpersonal skills.
D. Encouraging the use of countertransference is not appropriate and can lead to an unprofessional and emotionally charged nurse-client relationship, which can be harmful to the therapeutic process. Instead, nurses should be aware of and manage their own feelings to provide effective and impartial care.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
The correct answer is c. Reacting to the nurse as though she were his mother.
Choice A rationale:
- Refusing to participate in group activities can be a sign of social anxiety,withdrawal,or other mental health issues,but it's not specifically indicative of transference.
- Individuals with personality disorders may withdraw from social interactions for various reasons,such as fear of rejection,discomfort in social settings,or a preference for isolation.
- While refusal to participate in group activities could be a manifestation of transference in some cases,it's not the most typical or defining characteristic.
Choice B rationale:
- Talking negatively about other staff members can occur due to dissatisfaction with treatment,personality traits,or interpersonal conflicts.
- It's not directly related to transference,which involves projecting feelings and expectations from past relationships onto current ones.
- While individuals with personality disorders may engage in negative talk about others,this behavior doesn't necessarily stem from transference.
Choice C rationale:
- Reacting to the nurse as though she were his mother is a classic example of transference.
- In this case,the client is unconsciously transferring feelings,thoughts,and behaviors associated with his mother onto the nurse.
- This can manifest in various ways,such as seeking excessive attention or reassurance from the nurse,becoming overly dependent on her,or reacting with anger or hostility if she doesn't meet his expectations.
- This behavior is a key indicator that the client is using transference as a coping mechanism.
Choice D rationale:
- Expressing frustration regarding unit rules can be a sign of difficulty with authority or adjusting to the structure of a treatment setting.
- It's not inherently a sign of transference,as it doesn't involve projecting feelings from past relationships onto the current one.
- Individuals with personality disorders may struggle with rules and authority,but this behavior is not a direct manifestation of transference.
Correct Answer is D
No explanation
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