A nurse at an outpatient clinic receives a call from a client who reports experiencing syncope after starting a new prescription for enalapril.

Which of the following instructions should the nurse give the client?

Correct answer: A

Preschool-aged children (around 3 to 5 years old) have a limited understanding of death compared to older children or adults. They may not fully grasp the finality and permanence of death. They often have a more concrete and literal understanding of death.

A. Believing the death is punishment for bad behavior: Preschool-aged children (typically 3 to 5 years old) often have magical thinking and may believe that their thoughts or actions can cause events to happen. They may think that the death of a parent is a punishment for something they did or thought, reflecting their egocentric view of the world.

B. Recognizing the parent will never wake up: This understanding is more commonly seen in older children who have a more mature grasp of death. Preschool-aged children may not fully comprehend that death is irreversible and permanent.

C. While preschoolers might ask questions about the funeral out of curiosity, this is not the primary way they process or react to the death of a loved one. Their questions are often more about trying to understand what is happening rather than a genuine curiosity about the specifics of the service.

D. Understanding that everyone dies eventually: While preschool-aged children may have some understanding that death is a natural part of life, their comprehension of its full implications is limited. They may not fully grasp the universality of death and its inevitability for all living beings.

Explanation:

Displacement is a defense mechanism in which an individual redirect their emotions or impulses from their original target to a less threatening or safer target. In this scenario, the client yells at the nurse when medication changes are prescribed by the provider. The client may be feeling angry or frustrated about the medication changes but is unable to express those emotions directly towards the provider. Instead, the client displaces those feelings onto the nurse, who may be seen as a safer or more accessible target. The yelling behavior directed at the nurse is a way for the client to release and express their emotions indirectly.

Let's briefly discuss the other defense mechanisms mentioned:

A- Conversion: Conversion involves the expression of psychological distress or conflict through physical symptoms or ailments. It is not applicable in this scenario since the client's behavior does not involve physical symptoms.

B- Splitting: Splitting is a defense mechanism characterized by a black-and-white thinking pattern, where individuals perceive others or situations as all good or all bad. It does not directly apply in this scenario as the client's behavior is not indicative of splitting.

D- Sublimation: Sublimation is a defense mechanism in which an individual channel their unacceptable or potentially harmful impulses into socially acceptable outlets, such as creative or productive activities. It is not evident in this scenario as the client's behavior does not involve transforming the emotions into a more positive or socially acceptable form.