Nursing Elites

1. Which action often triggers an episode of violence or aggression in a patient with a psychiatric diagnosis involving violent behavior?

• A. Obtaining a history
• B. Asking for input into care
• C. Enforcing rules
• D. Taking a walk

Correct answer: C

Rationale: Enforcing rules is often a trigger for patients with psychiatric diagnoses involving violent behavior. Limit-setting or denying patient demands can be perceived as control and intimidation, leading to aggressive responses. Nursing staff must respond calmly and professionally to prevent escalation. Avoiding such patients or matching their emotions can worsen the situation. Therefore, enforcing rules can provoke violent episodes in these patients.

2. Which communication technique is a part of therapeutic communication?

• A. Asking for explanations
• B. Showing sympathy to the client
• C. Asking personal questions of the client
• D. Providing relevant information to the client

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is providing relevant information to the client. In therapeutic communication, it is essential to provide clients with all pertinent information to help them understand their health status and what to expect. This empowers clients and promotes trust in the nurse-client relationship. Asking for explanations, showing sympathy, and asking personal questions are examples of nontherapeutic communication techniques. Asking personal questions can intrude on the client's privacy and may not be relevant to their care. Showing sympathy, while well-intentioned, may come across as pity rather than true empathy. Asking for explanations can sometimes put clients on the defensive rather than fostering a collaborative dialogue.

3. After being medicated for anxiety, the client says to the nurse, 'I guess you are too busy to stay with me.' Which response by the nurse is correct?

• A. I'm so sorry, but I need to see other clients.'
• B. 'I have to go now, but I will come back in 10 minutes.'
• C. You'll be able to rest after the medicine starts working.'
• D. You'll feel better after I've made you more comfortable.'

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The nurse should respond with empathy and reassurance to address the client's emotional needs. The correct response, 'I have to go now, but I will come back in 10 minutes,' acknowledges the client's feelings while providing a timeframe for the nurse's return, showing care and concern. Choice A, 'I'm so sorry, but I need to see other clients,' prioritizes other tasks over the client's emotional needs, which can increase anxiety. Choice C, 'You'll be able to rest after the medicine starts working,' offers false reassurance and does not address the client's immediate emotional distress. Choice D, 'You'll feel better after I've made you more comfortable,' does not acknowledge the client's concerns and fails to establish a supportive connection with the client.

4. A 16-month-old child has just been admitted to the hospital. As the nurse assigned to this child enters the hospital room for the first time, the toddler runs to the mother, clings to her, and begins to cry. What would be the initial action by the nurse?

• A. Arrange to change client care assignments.
• B. Explain that this behavior is expected.
• C. Discuss the appropriate use of 'time-out'.
• D. Explain that the child needs extra attention.

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is to explain that this behavior is expected. During normal development, fear of strangers becomes prominent beginning around age 6-8 months. Such behaviors include clinging to parents, crying, and turning away from the stranger. These fears and behaviors extend into the toddler period and may persist into preschool. Changing client care assignments (Choice A) is not necessary as the child's behavior is developmentally appropriate. Discussing the appropriate use of 'time-out' (Choice C) is not relevant in this situation as the child is displaying normal attachment behavior, not misbehavior. Explaining that the child needs extra attention (Choice D) may not be necessary as the child is likely seeking comfort from the familiar presence of the mother, which is a typical response in a stressful situation like being in a hospital environment.

5. Which term describes what an adolescent client is experiencing when she says to the nurse who has been caring for her, 'You're just like my mother; I hate you'?

• A. Insight
• B. Universality
• C. Transference
• D. Identification

Correct answer: C

Rationale: Transference occurs when a client unconsciously assigns feelings and attitudes originally associated with another important person in the client's life. In this scenario, the adolescent client is projecting emotions connected to her mother onto the nurse. This client's statement does not demonstrate insight but rather reflects the mechanism of transference. Universality refers to the sense that one is not alone in any situation, which is not evident in the client's statement. Identification is a defense mechanism where an individual takes on characteristics of someone considered admirable, which is not the case in this situation.

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