An adolescent female arrives at the wellness clinic reporting fears that she will hurt herself. The nurse observes scars on both wrists of the client. Which priority action should the nurse implement?
Assess for body image disturbance.
Complete a suicidal risk assessment.
Explore the client’s current life events.
Praise her for seeking professional help.
The Correct Answer is B
Choice A reason: Assessing body image disturbance is relevant in adolescents but not the priority with self-harm fears and wrist scars, indicating high suicide risk from psychological distress or serotonin dysregulation. A suicidal risk assessment evaluates immediate safety, addressing the neurobiological urgency of potential self-injury over body image concerns.
Choice B reason: Completing a suicidal risk assessment is critical, as self-harm fears and wrist scars suggest active suicidal ideation or past attempts, possibly from depression or trauma. Assessing intent, plan, and means guides urgent interventions like hospitalization, addressing psychological and neurochemical risks to prevent self-injury in this high-risk client.
Choice C reason: Exploring life events provides context for self-harm but is secondary to assessing suicide risk. Stressors may trigger cortisol or serotonin imbalances, contributing to ideation, but evaluating immediate risk of self-harm is urgent to ensure safety, preventing lethal outcomes in an adolescent with evident self-harm history.
Choice D reason: Praising the client for seeking help is supportive but not the priority when self-harm fears and scars indicate high suicide risk. Positive reinforcement does not address immediate evaluation of intent or plan, critical to prevent harm and manage underlying psychological or neurochemical issues promptly.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
Choice A reason: Using a heating pad is contraindicated in Raynaud’s, as reduced sensation from vasospasm risks burns. Raynaud’s involves cold-triggered arteriolar constriction, reducing blood flow. Heat does not address vasospasm’s pathophysiology and may cause tissue damage, making this instruction inappropriate compared to cold protection strategies.
Choice B reason: Wearing gloves when handling cold items prevents vasospasm in Raynaud’s, where cold triggers arteriolar constriction, causing ischemia and pain. Protecting extremities maintains blood flow, preventing episodes. This directly addresses the disease’s pathophysiological trigger, making it the most effective instruction for managing Raynaud’s symptoms.
Choice C reason: Knee-high support stockings improve venous return, relevant for venous insufficiency, not Raynaud’s arterial vasospasm. Stockings do not prevent cold-induced vasoconstriction, the primary trigger. Gloves for cold exposure directly mitigate vasospastic episodes, making this instruction less effective for Raynaud’s disease management.
Choice D reason: Regular walking improves overall circulation but does not prevent Raynaud’s vasospastic episodes, triggered by cold or stress. While exercise supports vascular health, avoiding cold exposure with gloves is more targeted, directly reducing arteriolar constriction and ischemic symptoms, making walking a secondary recommendation.
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
Choice A reason: Imbalanced nutrition is unrelated to 150 mL residual urine, which indicates incomplete bladder emptying, often from detrusor dysfunction or obstruction. Nutrition affects overall health but does not cause retention. Residual urine increases infection risk due to stasis, making nutrition an irrelevant nursing problem for this urinary issue.
Choice B reason: Deficient fluid volume suggests dehydration, reducing urine output, not causing high residual volumes. Residual urine (150 mL) indicates retention from impaired bladder emptying, not fluid deficit. Hydration prevents stasis, but infection risk from retained urine is more immediate, as bacteria proliferate in stagnant urine.
Choice C reason: Residual urine of 150 mL signifies incomplete bladder emptying, often from obstruction or neurogenic bladder, leading to urinary stasis. This fosters bacterial growth, increasing urinary tract infection (UTI) risk. Including “risk for infection” addresses this pathophysiological concern, guiding interventions like catheterization to reduce infection likelihood.
Choice D reason: Urinary incontinence involves involuntary leakage, not retention, where the bladder fails to empty, as seen with 150 mL residual urine. Retention results from outflow obstruction or weak detrusor, distinct from incontinence’s loss of control, making this nursing problem inappropriate for the client’s condition.
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