A registered nurse in a mental health facility is planning care for a client who has obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and is newly admitted to the unit. Which of the following actions should the nurse plan to take regarding the client's compulsive behaviors?
Confront the client about the senseless nature of repetitive behaviors.
Isolate the client for a period of time.
Plan the client's schedule to allow time for rituals.
Set very strict limits on the behaviors so that the client can conform to the unit rules and schedules.
The Correct Answer is C
When caring for a client with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), it is important for the nurse to understand that the client’s compulsive behaviors are a way for them to manage their anxiety and distress. Rather than trying to confront or eliminate these behaviors, the nurse should work with the client to develop a schedule that allows time for their rituals while also incorporating other activities and treatments.
Option a. Confront the client about the senseless nature of repetitive behaviors is not a helpful intervention because it may increase the client’s anxiety and distress.
Option b. Isolate the client for a period of time is not a helpful intervention because it does not address the underlying causes of the client’s compulsive behaviors.
Option d. Set very strict limits on the behaviors so that the client can conform to the unit rules and schedules is not a helpful intervention because it may increase the client’s anxiety and distress and may interfere with their ability to participate in treatment.
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Related Questions
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating followed by inappropriate compensatory behaviors such as self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives or diuretics, fasting, or excessive exercise. Binge eating refers to the consumption of an abnormally large amount of food within a short period, accompanied by a feeling of loss of control overeating. After bingeing, individuals with bulimia nervosa feel guilty, ashamed, and anxious about their behavior, and try to compensate by purging.
Options a, c, and d are incorrect as they do not accurately describe the characteristic features of bulimia nervosa.
Avoiding social gatherings and family meals is a characteristic of social anxiety disorder, not bulimia nervosa. Restricting caloric intake all the time is a characteristic of anorexia nervosa, a different type of eating disorder. Following a strict diet and exercise program is not necessarily a characteristic of bulimia nervosa, although some individuals with bulimia nervosa may engage in excessive exercise as a compensatory behavior.
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
Involuntary hospitalization for mental illness is typically reserved for situations where an individual poses an immediate danger to themselves or others due to a severe mental illness. In option A, the individual is experiencing command hallucinations, which are often a symptom of a severe mental illness such as schizophrenia. The fact that they want to hurt their neighbor is a clear indication that they pose a danger to others and require emergency intervention.
Option B may indicate a mental illness such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, but it does not necessarily pose an immediate danger to the individual or others.
Option C may indicate a relapse in addiction, but again, it does not necessarily pose an immediate danger to the individual or others.
Option D may indicate a need for follow-up and intervention, but it does not indicate an immediate danger to the individual or others.
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