An adolescent hospitalized after a physical outburst tells the nurse, "I’m going to kill my father, but you can’t tell anyone." Select the nurse’s best response.

Choice A reason: Alienation from family corresponds to Maslow’s love and belonging needs, a third-level priority. While important for mental health, it is less urgent than physiological needs like nutrition and hygiene, which are foundational for survival and stability, making this choice lower priority in care planning.

Choice B reason: Refusing to eat or bathe addresses Maslow’s physiological needs, the highest priority in the hierarchy. Nutrition and hygiene are essential for survival and physical health, critical in mental illness to stabilize the patient’s condition and support further treatment, making this the correct choice.

Choice C reason: Reluctance to participate in group therapy relates to esteem or belonging needs, lower in Maslow’s hierarchy. While social engagement aids mental health, it is not as urgent as physiological needs, which underpin survival and basic functioning, making this choice a lower priority in care planning.

Choice D reason: Anxiety about social situations aligns with safety or belonging needs, secondary to physiological requirements. While anxiety impacts mental health, it is less critical than ensuring basic survival needs like food and hygiene, which take precedence in Maslow’s framework, making this choice incorrect.

Choice A reason: Cultural skill refers to the ability to apply cultural knowledge in practice, such as conducting culturally sensitive assessments. It focuses on actionable skills, not self-examination of beliefs, which is a distinct process of internal reflection, making this choice incorrect for the described behavior.

Choice B reason: Cultural knowledge involves understanding cultural facts and differences, not introspective analysis of personal beliefs. It focuses on external information rather than self-awareness, which is critical for examining one’s own values, making this choice incorrect for the nurse’s behavior.

Choice C reason: Cultural awareness involves self-examination of personal beliefs, values, and biases, recognizing their impact on care. This introspective process is essential in psychiatric nursing to ensure unbiased patient interactions, aligning with the described behavior, making this the correct choice.

Choice D reason: Cultural competence encompasses knowledge, skills, and awareness to provide effective care across cultures. While it includes self-examination, it is broader than the specific act of reflecting on personal beliefs, making cultural awareness the more precise term for the described behavior.