A client with a history of major depressive disorder with psychotic features was rescued before jumping off a dam. The client is pacing, picking at the arms, and repeatedly mumbling, "I have to die. You cannot stop me." When the health care provider recommends electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) as the initial treatment, the client’s spouse says to the nurse, "I can’t allow such a cruel treatment. Why can’t they just give my spouse medication?" Which is the best response by the nurse?

A client in the psychiatric unit is experiencing severe anxiety—they are trembling, pacing, and saying, "I can’t think straight. I feel like something terrible is going to happen." Which of the following is the most therapeutic response by the nurse?

A client recently diagnosed with cancer continues to miss follow-up appointments and states, "The doctors must have made a mistake—there’s no way I’m that sick." According to Freud’s psychoanalytic theory, which defense mechanism is the client most likely using?

A client is experiencing a panic attack characterized by intense fear, hyperventilation, chest pain, and feelings of impending doom. Which nursing intervention is most appropriate to help the client during this panic stage?

A client with schizophrenia is prescribed olanzapine. During a follow-up visit, the client reports increased appetite and weight gain. Which nursing action is most appropriate to address this concern?

A 6-year-old child is showing behaviors such as excessive handwashing and reluctance to use the bathroom independently. According to Freud’s psychosexual theory, fixation at which stage is most likely contributing to these behaviors?

At the first meeting of a group at a daycare center for older adults, the nurse asks one of the members what kinds of things the client would like to do with the group. The older adult shrugs and says, "You tell me. You're the leader." What would be the best response for the nurse to make?

A patient diagnosed with schizophrenia tells the nurse, "The CIA is monitoring us through the fluorescent lights in this room. Be careful what you say." Which response by the nurse would be most therapeutic?

A nurse is caring for a client newly prescribed aripiprazole, a third-generation antipsychotic, for the treatment of schizophrenia. Which nursing observation would require the most immediate intervention?

A client with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has been cleaning a bathroom for most of the morning. When the roommate demands that the client leave the bathroom so that the roommate can shower, the client becomes angry and says, "You can’t make me leave, everything is still dirty." What is the best nursing action?

A nursing student new to psychiatric mental health nursing asks a peer what resources he can use to figure out which symptoms are present in a specific psychiatric disorder. The best answer would be: