Exhibits

A nurse is reviewing the medical record of a client who has schizophrenia. Which of the following findings should the nurse report to the provider? (Click on the exhibit tabs for additional information about the client. There are three tabs that contain separate categories of data.)

Rationale:

A. "Why did you start drinking alcohol?": This question explores motivations or personal history but is not part of the standardized Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). The AUDIT focuses on quantity, frequency, and consequences of alcohol use rather than reasons for drinking.

B. "Does anyone else in your family have a drinking problem?": Family history of alcohol use may be relevant for overall assessment but is not included in the AUDIT, which is designed to screen the client’s own drinking behaviors and risks.

C. "How old were you when you started to drink alcohol?": Age of initiation provides background information but is not a question within the AUDIT. The test is concerned with current patterns and consequences of alcohol consumption.

D. "How often do you drink alcohol?": This question is a standard component of the AUDIT and assesses the frequency of alcohol consumption. It helps identify patterns of use and potential risk for alcohol-related problems, making it appropriate for inclusion in the screening.

Rationale:

A. Instruct the client to discard the medication in the toilet: Disposing of medication in the toilet is not a recommended first action, as it does not address the client’s question about safely taking a half dose. Safe disposal is only necessary for expired or unwanted medications.

B. Manually break the tablets in half: Manually breaking tablets without knowing if they are designed to be split can lead to inaccurate dosing and affect drug efficacy. Some medications are not safe to split due to extended-release properties or uneven distribution of active ingredients.

C. Determine if the tablets are scored: Scored tablets are specifically designed to be split, ensuring accurate dosing. The nurse should verify whether the medication is scored before advising the client to cut it, ensuring safety and effectiveness of the prescribed dose.

D. Ask the pharmacy to create a liquid version of the medication: While a liquid formulation may be appropriate for accurate dosing if the tablet cannot be safely split, the first step is to confirm whether the current tablet can be divided. The pharmacy can then provide alternatives if splitting is unsafe.