A nurse is planning care for a client who has reduced visual sensory perception. Which of the following interventions should the nurse include in the plan of care?

Choice A reason: Avoiding eye contact with a client experiencing auditory hallucinations may increase feelings of isolation or mistrust. Appropriate eye contact fosters therapeutic communication, conveying empathy and engagement. This action is not evidence-based for managing hallucinations, as it fails to address the client’s experience or build trust, making it inappropriate.
Choice B reason: Encouraging the client to lie down in a quiet room may reduce stimuli but does not directly address auditory hallucinations. This approach is more suitable for sensory overload or anxiety, not for engaging with or understanding the client’s hallucinations, which requires active communication to assess and manage symptoms effectively.
Choice C reason: Asking the client directly what they are hearing is a therapeutic approach that validates their experience and helps assess the nature and impact of hallucinations. This facilitates reality orientation, builds trust, and informs treatment, such as adjusting antipsychotics. It aligns with evidence-based care for schizophrenia, making it the correct action.
Choice D reason: Administering antianxiety medication immediately is not the first step for auditory hallucinations, which are primarily managed with antipsychotics. Without assessing the hallucinations’ content or severity, this action is premature and may not address the underlying psychotic symptoms, making it less appropriate than engaging the client directly.

Choice A reason: Administering atomoxetine, used for ADHD, is inappropriate for panic attacks, which require short-acting anxiolytics like benzodiazepines if medicated. This medication does not address acute anxiety and may worsen symptoms, making it incorrect and potentially harmful.
Choice B reason: Encouraging television watching may distract but does not address the acute distress of a panic attack. It lacks the calming, supportive presence needed to reduce anxiety, making it less effective and inappropriate compared to direct emotional support.
Choice C reason: Sitting with the client provides a calming presence, reducing fear and enhancing security during a panic attack. This therapeutic intervention supports emotional regulation and aligns with evidence-based anxiety management, making it the correct and most effective action.
Choice D reason: Instructing strenuous exercise during a panic attack can exacerbate symptoms like tachycardia and breathlessness, worsening anxiety. Calming techniques like deep breathing are preferred, so this action is counterproductive and potentially harmful, making it incorrect.