A nurse on a mental health unit is participating in a community meeting with a group of clients. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

Answer: (D) Suppression

Rationale:

A) Dissociation: Dissociation involves a disconnection from reality or the separation of thoughts, memories, or identity from conscious awareness. In this scenario, the client is not displaying any signs of disconnecting from reality or avoiding awareness of the situation through dissociation, making this defense mechanism unlikely.

B) Projection: Projection occurs when an individual attributes their own unacceptable thoughts or feelings to others. The client in this situation is not blaming others or attributing their actions to someone else, so projection is not the defense mechanism being demonstrated here.

C) Intellectualization: Intellectualization involves using reasoning or logic to avoid emotional stress or anxiety. While the client does mention logical-sounding plans about things working out next week, their overall response does not primarily reflect an avoidance of emotion through reasoning, so intellectualization is not the correct choice.

D) Suppression: Suppression is the conscious decision to delay paying attention to an emotion or need in order to cope with the present situation. The client acknowledges the stress of being fired but chooses to push aside their distress by stating that "everything will work out somehow next week," indicating they are consciously choosing to set aside their anxiety for the time being. This aligns with the concept of suppression.

It is important for the nurse to establish and maintain appropriate professional boundaries with the client. This includes respecting the client's personal space and privacy. By maintaining appropriate boundaries, the nurse ensures a therapeutic and professional relationship that focuses on the client's needs and promotes their well-being.
The other options are not appropriate when developing a relationship with the client:

1. Share personal information to help the client feel comfortable: While it is important to build rapport and create a supportive environment, sharing personal information may blur professional boundaries and divert the focus from the client to the nurse. The therapeutic relationship should primarily revolve around the client's needs and experiences.
2. Develop an emotional commitment to the client: While empathy and compassion are essential in providing care, it is important for the nurse to maintain professional objectivity. Developing an emotional commitment can make it challenging for the nurse to maintain appropriate boundaries and could lead to potential ethical issues.
3. He reminds the nurse of a personal friend or relative: It is important for the nurse to remain unbiased and treat each client as an individual. Drawing comparisons or associations with personal acquaintances can influence the nurse's objectivity and professionalism in providing care.