Nursing Elites

1. A parent of a young child says, 'I'm so upset! The doctor prescribed an antidepressant!' Which response is best?

• A. Tell me more about what's bothering you.'
• B. Weren't you told about the need for the medication?'
• C. I'll notify the healthcare provider about your concerns.'
• D. 'Maybe the medication is for attention deficit disorder.'

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The best response in this situation is to express empathy and encourage the parent to share more about their concerns. Option A ('Tell me more about what's bothering you.') allows the nurse to show understanding and gather more information to address the parent's distress effectively. Option B ('Weren't you told about the need for the medication?') is confrontational and may make the parent defensive, hindering effective communication. Option C ('I'll notify the healthcare provider about your concerns.') is premature; the nurse should first assess the parent's feelings before deciding on further actions. Option D ('Maybe the medication is for attention deficit disorder.') assumes without clarification, which is not appropriate; the nurse should validate the prescription before suggesting alternative reasons.

2. Which reaction toward the physical symptom would the nurse observe in a client with conversion disorder?

• A. Anger
• B. Apathy
• C. Anxiety
• D. Agitation

Correct answer: B

Rationale: In conversion disorder, the nurse would observe apathy toward the physical symptom. The development of the symptom serves as an unconscious method of reducing anxiety. The symptom is accepted passively, known as 'la belle indiff�rence.' There is no anger observed as symptoms are passively accepted. Similarly, there is no direct anxiety related to the physical symptom, as the conflict is resolved through the symptom development. While many individuals might experience agitation and seek to identify the cause of physical symptoms, in conversion disorder, there is an unusual calmness or indifference towards the physical manifestation, indicating apathy rather than other emotional responses.

3. Before discharging an anxious client, which information about anxiety would the nurse teach the family?

• A. Anxiety is a totally unique feeling and experience.
• B. Apprehension is generalized to the total environment.
• C. Fears result from conscious actions, thoughts, and wishes.
• D. Anxiety is a pattern of emotional and behavioral responses to stress.

Correct answer: D

Rationale: Anxiety is a human response consisting of both physical and emotional changes that everyone experiences when faced with stressful situations. It is a pattern of emotional and behavioral responses to stress. Anxiety is a common experience for many individuals. Apprehension is usually related to a specific aspect of the environment rather than the total environment. Fears are not intentionally or consciously generated.

4. For a client with obsessive-compulsive disorder, which reaction is most likely to occur when the performance of a ritual is interrupted?

• A. Anxiety
• B. Hostility
• C. Aggression
• D. Withdrawal

Correct answer: A

Rationale: When a client with obsessive-compulsive disorder is interrupted while performing a ritual, the most likely reaction is anxiety. The compulsive ritual serves as a coping mechanism to control anxiety, so any disruption to this ritual can heighten the individual's anxiety levels. Hostility is typically part of the disorder itself and not a direct reaction to the interruption of the ritual. Aggression may occur only if anxiety escalates to a panic level, leading to overt anger expression. Withdrawal is not a common behavioral pattern associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder and is not a typical reaction to ritual interruption.

5. Which approach would the healthcare provider use when managing the care of a client diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)?

• A. Creating an anxiety-free environment for the client
• B. Assisting the client with the development of healthy, adaptive coping mechanisms
• C. Avoiding triggers that produce anxiety in the client
• D. Providing reinforcement that the client's anxiety issues can be eliminated

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The healthcare provider would assist the client with the development of healthy, adaptive coping mechanisms. GAD is characterized by the maladaptive use of worrying as a coping mechanism. The ultimate goal is for the healthcare provider to help the client replace the ineffective worrying with effective, healthy coping mechanisms. Creating an anxiety-free environment is not feasible or recommended; the goal is to help the client learn to deal with anxiety in a healthy manner. While identifying triggers is important, avoiding all triggers that produce anxiety is often impractical. Providing reinforcement that anxiety issues can be eliminated is not appropriate as anxiety is a normal human experience that needs to be managed effectively rather than eliminated completely.

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