A nurse is caring for a client who requires crisis intervention for acute anxiety. Which of the following nursing actions is the highest priority?

Identifying the client's coping skills.

Protecting the client from injury to himself.

Determining the cause of the client's anxiety.

Ensuring that the client feels safe.

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is B

Choice A rationale:

Identifying the client's coping skills is an important assessment, but in the context of acute anxiety requiring crisis intervention, immediate safety takes precedence over assessment. Coping skills assessment can follow once the client is stable.

Choice B rationale:

Protecting the client from injury to himself is the highest priority in this scenario. Acute anxiety can lead to behaviors that pose a risk to the client's safety, such as self-harm or suicide. Ensuring the client's physical safety is paramount.

Choice C rationale:

Determining the cause of the client's anxiety is relevant for long-term care but not the immediate priority during crisis intervention. Immediate safety concerns must be addressed first.

Choice D rationale:

Ensuring that the client feels safe is important, but physical safety takes precedence. The client's subjective feeling of safety may not necessarily prevent them from engaging in harmful behaviors.

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Correct Answer is D

Explanation

Choice A rationale:

The client taking an overdose of the medication is unlikely to be the cause of the symptoms. Disulfiram (Antabuse) is a medication used to treat alcohol dependence by causing adverse effects when alcohol is consumed. However, an overdose would not result in severe nausea and vomiting as described.

Choice B rationale:

Experiencing common side effects of the medication is a possibility, but severe nausea and vomiting are not typical side effects of disulfiram. The medication's primary purpose is to induce unpleasant effects when alcohol is consumed, not to cause severe gastrointestinal symptoms.

Choice C rationale:

Demonstrating an allergic response to the medication could potentially cause various symptoms, but severe nausea and vomiting are not commonly associated with allergies to disulfiram. Allergic reactions often manifest as skin rashes, itching, and respiratory symptoms, which are not described in this scenario.

Choice D rationale:

The correct choice. Disulfiram works by inhibiting alcohol metabolism, leading to the accumulation of acetaldehyde, a toxic substance, when alcohol is consumed. This buildup of acetaldehyde results in unpleasant symptoms like severe nausea, vomiting, headache, and flushing. Since the client has recently started taking disulfiram and reports experiencing severe nausea and vomiting after discontinuing the medication, it is most likely that the client consumed alcohol while taking the medication, triggering the adverse reaction.

A. The client responds to questions with disorganized speech. B. The client reports that voices are telling him to write a novel. C. The client's spouse reports that the client has recently gained weight. D. The client is dressed in all black.

Correct Answer is A

Explanation

The correct answer is Choice A.

Choice A rationale: Disorganized speech is a hallmark symptom of acute mania in bipolar disorder. Clients may exhibit pressured speech, tangentiality, and flight of ideas, reflecting the heightened energy and cognitive disruptions associated with manic episodes.

Choice B rationale: Reporting auditory hallucinations, such as voices telling the client to write a novel, is more indicative of a psychotic disorder rather than acute mania in bipolar disorder. Mania typically involves elevated mood and activity levels, not hallucinations.

Choice C rationale: Weight gain reported by the spouse is not specific to acute mania. While changes in appetite and weight can occur in bipolar disorder, they are not defining features of manic episodes, which are characterized by heightened mood and activity.

Choice D rationale: Being dressed in all black does not specifically indicate acute mania. Mania is characterized by mood disturbances and increased activity levels rather than specific choices in clothing color, which can vary widely among individuals.

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A nurse is caring for a client who requires crisis intervention for acute anxiety. Which of the following nursing actions is the highest priority?

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Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

Correct Answer is D

Explanation

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Correct Answer is A

Explanation

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