A nurse is assisting with the admission of a client to an acute mental health unit following a suicide attempt. The client has a history of depression, substance abuse, and anorexia nervosa. Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?
Initiate one-to-one nursing observation.
Make a contract with the client for weight gain.
Administer the Hamilton depression scale.
Review the client's toxicology laboratory report.
The Correct Answer is A
initiate one-to-one nursing observation, as this is the most urgent intervention to ensure the safety of the client. The client has a history of depression, substance abuse, anorexia nervosa, and attempted suicide, which indicates that they are at high risk for harm to themselves. One-to-one observation involves an assigned staff member who will be with the client at all times, ensuring their safety and preventing any further self-harm attempts.
Choice B, making a contract with the client for weight gain, is not an appropriate first action as it does not address the client's immediate safety concerns.
Choice C, administering the Hamilton depression scale, may be important to assess the client's depressive symptoms but is not the most urgent priority.
Choice D, reviewing the client's toxicology laboratory report, may be necessary for the overall assessment of the client, but safety comes first.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
Prevent the client from harming herself or others. Withdrawal from alcohol can lead to autonomic hyperactivity and is most concerning when it involves seizures, deliriums tremens, and hallucinations which can be potentially life-threatening. Therefore, the nurse's priority when caring for a client experiencing alcohol withdrawal is to prevent harm to the client by implementing seizure precautions and monitoring the client's vital signs.
Choice A, identifying the use of defense mechanisms, is an important aspect of treatment but can be addressed later.
Choice C, supporting the client's coping skills, is not a priority intervention.
Correct Answer is ["A","B","C","E"]
Explanation
The elderly tend to heal more slowly which can delay wound healing and increase the risk of infection. The elderly person has a greater proportion of body surface area per amount of body mass which increases the amount of skin available for injury, and thus the severity of the burn. The elderly person has less physiological reserves which makes it more difficult for the body to respond to injury and stress. Elderly patients have comorbidities such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory disease that can impair the body's ability to heal and increase the risk of complications. Elderly patients do not typically have thicker skin as it thins with age.
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