A nurse is planning care for a client who has dependent personality disorder. Which of the following actions should the nurse plan to take?
Set limits to prevent exploitation of other clients.
Monitor the client closely to prevent self-mutilation.
Give positive feedback when the client is assertive with staff or clients.
Discourage flamboyant or seductive behaviors.
The Correct Answer is C
The correct answer/s is:
C. Give positive feedback when the client is assertive with staff or clients.
Rationale for Choice A:
While setting limits is an important aspect of nursing care, it's not specifically targeted towards the core challenges of dependent personality disorder. The primary concern in this case is the client's excessive reliance on others and inability to function independently. Setting limits might be perceived as a rejection or abandonment, potentially exacerbating the client's distress and anxiety. Additionally, focusing on preventing the exploitation of other clients shifts the attention away from the client's individual needs and goals.
Rationale for Choice B:
While self-mutilation is a potential risk in some individuals with dependent personality disorder, it's not a defining characteristic or the most prevalent concern. Continuous close monitoring can be intrusive and undermine the client's sense of autonomy. It's more effective to build trust and establish open communication where the client feels comfortable expressing distress and seeking help before resorting to self-harm.
Rationale for Choice C:
Assertiveness is a key skill to cultivate in individuals with dependent personality disorder. It empowers them to express their needs and desires appropriately, reducing their reliance on others and fostering healthy relationships. Offering positive reinforcement when the client exhibits assertive behavior, even in small steps, strengthens this skill and motivates them to continue their progress. This positive reinforcement approach aligns with therapeutic interventions for dependent personality disorder, which focus on building self-confidence and fostering independent functioning.
Rationale for Choice D:
Discouraging flamboyant or seductive behaviors might seem relevant because some individuals with dependent personality disorder might resort to attention-seeking tactics. However, such an approach risks shaming or judging the client, potentially increasing their feelings of inadequacy and insecurity. It's important to understand the underlying reason behind these behaviors, which could be a desperate attempt to gain approval or validation. Addressing the core issue of low self-esteem and encouraging authentic self-expression are more productive strategies than simply suppressing certain behaviors.
Additional Notes:
In addition to the rationales for each choice, it's important to consider the overall treatment goals for dependent personality disorder. These goals typically include:
Reduced dependence on others: Encouraging the client to take responsibility for their own needs and decisions. Improved assertiveness skills: Enabling the client to express their wishes and opinions confidently.
Enhanced self-esteem: Building the client's confidence and sense of self-worth.
Developing healthy relationships: Fostering interactions based on mutual respect and independence.
When planning care for a client with dependent personality disorder, the nurse should collaborate with other healthcare professionals, such as therapists and social workers, to ensure a comprehensive and coordinated approach.
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Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
Rationale:
Choice A: While offering hope and highlighting potential positives can be important in supporting someone with depression, this statement feels dismissive of the client's current experience and minimizes the intensity of their feelings. It could inadvertently make them feel unheard and misunderstood.
Choice B: While acknowledging the commonality of these feelings in depression is important for normalization, it can feel impersonal and fail to address the individual's specific struggles. It focuses on the diagnosis rather than the person's unique experience.
Choice D: Asking "why" can feel interrogative and put pressure on the client to explain their complex emotions. The focus should be on actively listening and validating their feelings rather than seeking justifications.
Choice C: This response demonstrates active listening and reflects back the client's core feeling (lack of meaning) without judgment. It shows empathy and opens the door for further exploration of their thoughts and emotions. It encourages the client to elaborate on their experience and potentially identify areas where meaning can be rediscovered.
Elaboration:
Suicide ideation and attempts are often linked to feelings of hopelessness and a perceived lack of value or purpose in life. When caring for someone with major depressive disorder who has expressed these thoughts, the primary goal is to establish safety and create a space for open communication.
Using therapeutic communication techniques like reflection, validation, and open-ended s allows the nurse to build trust and rapport with the client. Reflecting their feelings, as in Choice C, demonstrates understanding and helps the client feel heard and accepted. This can be a crucial step in reducing their distress and fostering a sense of hope and possibility.
By creating a safe and supportive environment, the nurse can encourage the client to explore their thoughts and feelings about their life and identify potential sources of meaning and hope. This can be a vital step in their journey towards recovery and well-being.
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
Choice A rationale:
Judgmental and challenging: Asking "Why did you feel you needed to do that at this time?" implies that the parents' decision may not have been the best one. It puts them on the defensive and could make them feel like they need to justify their actions.
Not empathetic: This response does not acknowledge the parents' feelings of sadness, disappointment, or loss. It focuses on the decision itself rather than on the emotional impact it has had on the family.
Not supportive: The nurse's role is to provide support and understanding, not to the parents' decisions. This response does not offer any emotional support or validation.
Choice B rationale:
Empathetic and validating: This response acknowledges the parents' feelings and shows that the nurse understands how difficult it must have been to cancel their son's baseball registration. It also validates their decision, which can be helpful in coping with difficult situations.
Opens up communication: By expressing empathy, the nurse encourages the parents to share their feelings and experiences. This can help them to process their emotions and feel more supported.
Facilitates understanding: By recognizing the parents' frustration, the nurse can better understand their perspective and provide more tailored support. This can help to strengthen the nurse-client relationship and promote trust.
Choice C rationale:
False hope: While it is possible that the child's condition could improve, it is not realistic to offer false hope to the parents. This response could make it more difficult for them to accept the reality of their child's illness and could lead to disappointment and frustration in the future.
Dismissive of feelings: This response does not acknowledge the parents' current feelings of sadness and loss. It focuses on the future, which can be overwhelming and anxiety-provoking for parents who are facing a terminal illness.
Choice D rationale:
Irrelevant and insensitive: The dangers of baseball are not relevant to the parents' decision to cancel their son's registration. This response is dismissive of their feelings and does not offer any support or understanding.
Potentially offensive: This response could be interpreted as suggesting that the parents are being overprotective or that they are making a decision based on fear rather than on their child's best interests.
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