A nurse knows operant conditioning is part of the treatment plan to encourage speech in a child who is nearly mute. Which technique should the nurse apply?

Choice A reason: HIPAA requires signed patient consent for releasing medical information to third parties, ensuring patient autonomy and confidentiality. This legal standard applies to mental health records, protecting sensitive data, making this the correct choice for information release.

Choice B reason: Verbal consent, even with a guardian, is insufficient under HIPAA, which mandates written authorization for protected health information. This ensures clear documentation, making this choice incorrect, as written consent is the legal standard.

Choice C reason: Psychiatrist approval does not replace patient consent for releasing information. HIPAA prioritizes patient authorization, and provider approval alone violates privacy regulations, making this choice incorrect for legal information release protocols.

Choice D reason: Health care team permission is irrelevant to releasing information, as only the patient’s signed consent is legally required. Team collaboration does not override HIPAA’s patient-centered consent rules, making this choice incorrect.

Choice A reason: Hysterical crying may indicate emotional distress but does not necessarily constitute a behavioral crisis unless it escalates to danger. It reflects an emotional response, not an immediate threat requiring urgent intervention, making it less severe than harm threats.

Choice B reason: Making threats to harm self and others indicates a behavioral crisis, signaling imminent danger due to a mental health condition. This requires immediate intervention to ensure safety, aligning with psychiatric emergency criteria, making this the correct choice.

Choice C reason: Nervous pacing suggests anxiety but does not inherently indicate a behavioral crisis. It lacks the immediate risk of harm to self or others, requiring monitoring but not urgent intervention, making this choice incorrect for a crisis scenario.

Choice D reason: Being wrapped in a blanket during group therapy suggests withdrawal or discomfort, not a behavioral crisis. It does not indicate imminent danger or severe behavioral dysregulation, making it an incorrect choice compared to explicit harm threats.