A nurse is caring for a client who is newly admitted for the treatment of anorexia nervosa. Which of the following actions should the nurse plan to take?

A. Daytime naps can interfere with the natural sleep-wake cycle, potentially causing fragmented nighttime sleep. Disrupted nighttime sleep increases the likelihood of wandering and confusion in clients with Alzheimer’s disease.

B. Installing locks at the bottom of exit doors can prevent the client from leaving unsupervised. However, this may also pose a risk of entrapment or delay emergency egress, which can compromise overall safety.

C. Placing the mattress on the floor reduces the height from which the client could fall, decreasing the risk of injury during nighttime wandering. This intervention directly addresses the physical safety of clients prone to getting out of bed at night.

D. Rubber-backed throw rugs can create uneven surfaces that increase the risk of tripping or slipping. For clients with impaired judgment or mobility, these rugs can inadvertently raise the chance of falls rather than prevent them.

Rationale for correct choices:

• Irritability: Irritability is a common symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), often resulting from the heightened arousal and anxiety that individuals with PTSD experience after trauma. This is frequently seen in clients who have undergone significant emotional distress.
• Feelings of emptiness: A sense of emptiness or detachment is often associated with PTSD. This is related to the emotional numbness and avoidance that individuals may experience as a result of trauma, leading them to feel disconnected or emotionally "empty."
• Sleep disturbance: Sleep problems, such as insomnia or nightmares, are hallmark symptoms of PTSD. Clients often struggle with restful sleep due to anxiety, hypervigilance, or intrusive thoughts related to the traumatic event.
• Guilt: Guilt is a common emotion experienced by individuals with PTSD, especially following trauma such as sexual assault. Survivors may blame themselves for not preventing the event, which can contribute to their emotional distress and symptoms of PTSD.

Rationale for incorrect choices:

• Hallucinations: Hallucinations are not typically associated with PTSD. While PTSD can cause intense emotional reactions, hallucinations are more commonly seen in conditions such as schizophrenia or severe substance intoxication, not in PTSD.
• Echopraxia: Echopraxia, which involves mimicking another person's movements, is generally associated with conditions such as autism or certain neurological disorders, not PTSD.