A nurse is reviewing new prescriptions for a client who is experiencing acute manifestations of alcohol withdrawal. Which of the following medications should the nurse expect the provider to prescribe for this client?

A. Denial:
Denial is a defense mechanism in which a person refuses to accept reality or acknowledge the existence of something that is evident to others. For example, a person diagnosed with a serious illness might deny that they are ill or refuse to believe the diagnosis. In this scenario, the client is not denying a reality; he is expressing anger and directing it toward the nurse.

B. Compensation:
Compensation is a defense mechanism where an individual overachieves in one area to compensate for real or imagined deficiencies in another area. For instance, someone who feels intellectually inferior might excel in sports to compensate for their perceived inadequacy. This is not applicable to the client's situation in the scenario provided.

C. Rationalization:
Rationalization involves providing logical or reasonable explanations to justify behaviors or feelings that might otherwise be unacceptable. For instance, a person might rationalize a failure by blaming external factors rather than accepting personal responsibility. In the scenario, the client is not offering rationalizations but is expressing direct anger.

D. Displacement:
Displacement occurs when emotions, especially anger or frustration, are redirected from the original source to a less threatening target. For example, a person who is angry with their boss might come home and take out their frustration on their family members. In the given situation, the client is displacing his anger from his partner onto the nurse, asking her to leave, making displacement the most appropriate choice.

A. "Since injuring my knee, I've decided to become the team manager."
Option A represents an adaptive use of the ego defense mechanism known as sublimation. Sublimation is a process in which a person channels potentially negative or harmful impulses or feelings into more socially acceptable and constructive activities. In this case, the adolescent with the injured knee is using the opportunity to become the team manager, which is a positive and constructive way to stay engaged with the team despite the setback of the injury.

B. "Since my mom died, I focus all my attention on my grades."
This is an example of reaction formation, a defense mechanism where someone overemphasizes the opposite of their true feelings. In this case, the individual might be hiding or avoiding their grief by focusing on grades.

C. "I didn't tell the teacher about the bullying because it wouldn't have changed anything."
This is an example of rationalization, where the individual provides a logical-sounding but potentially inaccurate explanation for their actions. It can be a defense mechanism to justify or make more acceptable one's choices.

D. "I'm not even going to think about writing that thesis paper until after prom."
This is an example of procrastination or avoidance, which is not an ego defense mechanism but a coping or time-management strategy. It doesn't represent an adaptive use of a defense mechanism in this context.