A client is fearful and reluctant to talk after a traumatic event. Which technique will the nurse employ that is most effective when trying to engage the client in interaction?

Choice A reason: Neighborhood watch programs enhance community safety but do not directly address mental health needs. They lack therapeutic components to manage symptoms or prevent decompensation, which are critical for preventing readmission in clients with mental health disorders, making this factor less relevant to sustained community stability.

Choice B reason: Taking meals at a food bank addresses nutritional needs but does not directly support mental health stability. While nutrition is important, it does not provide the therapeutic interventions or coping strategies needed to manage mental health disorders and prevent relapse or hospital readmission.

Choice C reason: Participation in treatment, such as therapy or medication adherence, directly addresses mental health symptoms, improving coping skills and emotional regulation. Consistent treatment reduces relapse risk, enhances stability, and supports community integration, making it the most effective factor for preventing readmission in clients with mental health disorders.

Choice D reason: A safe living environment reduces stress and safety risks but is secondary to active treatment. Without ongoing therapy or medication, environmental safety alone cannot manage symptoms or prevent decompensation, making it less critical than treatment participation for maintaining community stability and avoiding readmission.

Choice A reason: Releasing the client when behavioral control is achieved aligns with autonomy and beneficence, not nonmaleficence. While it benefits the client, it does not directly address harm prevention, which is the core of nonmaleficence. The focus is on restoring freedom, not specifically ensuring no physical harm during restraint use.

Choice B reason: Explaining release requirements promotes understanding and autonomy but does not directly prevent harm, the focus of nonmaleficence. It supports therapeutic communication but does not address the physical safety risks of restraints, such as skin breakdown or circulation issues, making it less relevant to this principle.

Choice C reason: Applying restraints based on assessment, not attitude, ensures objectivity, aligning with justice and fairness. While this prevents inappropriate restraint use, it is less directly tied to nonmaleficence, which focuses on avoiding harm like injury during restraint application, making it a secondary consideration in this context.

Choice D reason: Assuring restraints do not cause injury directly upholds nonmaleficence, the ethical principle of avoiding harm. Regular checks for skin breakdown, circulation impairment, or nerve damage prevent physical harm, ensuring safety during restraint use, making this action the most aligned with nonmaleficence in a restrained client.