A nurse is talking with a patient, and 5 minutes remain in the session. The patient has been silent for most of the session. Another patient comes to the door of the room, interrupts, and says, “I really need to talk to you right now.” The nurse should:
Say to the interrupting patient, “I am not available to talk with you at the present time”
End the unproductive session with the current patient and spend time with the patient who has just interrupted
Invite the interrupting patient to join in the session with the current patient
Tell the patient who interrupted, “This session will be 5 more minutes; then, I will talk with you”
The Correct Answer is D
Choice A reason: Bluntly stating unavailability dismisses the interrupting patient’s needs without offering a solution, potentially escalating distress. This approach lacks therapeutic communication, as it fails to acknowledge the patient’s urgency or provide a clear plan, which is critical in maintaining trust in a mental health setting.
Choice B reason: Ending the current session prematurely disrespects the silent patient’s therapeutic process. Silence may reflect processing or discomfort, requiring time to build trust. Abruptly shifting focus undermines the current patient’s care, potentially worsening their mental health and disrupting the therapeutic relationship.
Choice C reason: Inviting the interrupting patient to join violates confidentiality and disrupts the current patient’s safe space. Combining sessions without consent breaches ethical principles, potentially causing discomfort or mistrust, which hinders therapeutic progress for both patients in a mental health context.
Choice D reason: Acknowledging the interruption and scheduling a follow-up in 5 minutes respects both patients’ needs. It maintains the current patient’s therapeutic time while addressing the interrupting patient’s urgency, ensuring fairness and trust. This approach upholds ethical care and supports a therapeutic environment for mental health treatment.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
Choice A reason: Allowing a client with suicidal comments to leave against medical advice is unsafe, as it risks self-harm without immediate intervention. Providing resources does not address acute suicide risk, which requires inpatient stabilization to ensure safety, making this action inappropriate in the context of expressed suicidal ideation.
Choice B reason: Contacting family to persuade the client to stay does not address immediate suicide risk. While family support may be helpful, it lacks legal authority to prevent discharge and does not ensure safety, making it less effective than initiating a commitment for a client with suicidal intent.
Choice C reason: A 302 involuntary commitment is appropriate for a client expressing suicidal ideation, indicating imminent danger to self. This legal action ensures safety through inpatient evaluation and treatment, preventing self-harm. Mental health laws prioritize protection in such cases, making this the most appropriate nursing action.
Choice D reason: Calling security to detain the client is coercive and lacks legal basis without a formal commitment process. It may escalate agitation and violate autonomy. A 302 commitment is the proper legal mechanism to ensure safety for a suicidal client, making detention by security inappropriate.
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
Choice A reason: This response reinforces professional boundaries while therapeutically redirecting the client to explore external social support, addressing potential dependency. It validates the client’s feelings without personalizing the relationship, promoting healthy coping and social integration, which are critical for mental health recovery and maintaining therapeutic integrity.
Choice B reason: Bluntly denying friendship dismisses the client’s feelings, potentially damaging trust and therapeutic rapport. This approach risks alienating the client, who may feel rejected, hindering open communication and progress in addressing underlying emotional needs, making it non-therapeutic in a mental health context.
Choice C reason: Suggesting other friends without exploration dismisses the client’s expressed feelings, potentially invalidating their emotional experience. The assumption about existing friends may not apply, and the response lacks therapeutic engagement, failing to address the client’s dependency or need for social connection, making it less effective.
Choice D reason: Affirming the client’s view of friendship blurs professional boundaries, fostering dependency and compromising therapeutic objectivity. While validating feelings is important, reinforcing a personal connection risks hindering the client’s ability to develop external support systems, making this response non-therapeutic for mental health progress.
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