A patient with acute depression states, "God is punishing me for my past sins." What is the nurse's most therapeutic response?
"If you feel this way, you should talk to your minister."
"You sound very upset about this."
"Why do you think you are being punished?"
"God always forgives us for our sins."
The Correct Answer is B
A. Referring the patient to a minister avoids the nurse’s responsibility to provide immediate therapeutic support.
B. This response reflects the patient’s feelings and encourages further expression, which is therapeutic in depression.
C. Asking “why” can feel judgmental and place the patient on the defensive, which is non-therapeutic.
D. Giving false reassurance or imposing religious beliefs does not address the patient’s feelings and may shut down communication.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
A. Prickly skin sensations may occur with anxiety or substance use, not psychomotor agitation.
B. Slowed verbal responses indicate psychomotor retardation, not agitation.
C. Psychomotor agitation refers to increased, purposeless movement such as pacing, hand-wringing, or fidgeting.
D. Asking to repeat instructions indicates poor concentration, not specifically psychomotor agitation.
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
A. "My family will be better off without me" is an indirect or covert suicidal statement (passive ideation) that suggests the patient believes others would be better off if they were gone. Such remarks require immediate assessment of suicide risk (ask directly about thoughts, intent, plan, access to means) and appropriate safety interventions.
B. "Life is not worth living" is an explicit expression of hopelessness and indicates suicidal ideation, but it is more overt than covert. It still warrants urgent assessment, but the question asked specifically for the covert message.
C. "I wish I were dead" is a direct statement of suicidal desire (overt) rather than a covert hint.
D. "I have a plan that will fix everything" is the most concerning because it indicates a specific plan (high lethality risk), but it is overt rather than covert.
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