The healthcare provider prescribes haloperidol 10 mg for a client with severe psychosis, but the client refuses the medication. Which initial nursing action is appropriate?

Restrain the client and give the medication intramuscularly

Inform the client that refusing the medication means not getting any better

Accept the client’s decision and continue to maintain safety

Obtain a discharge order for nonadherence to the medication regimen

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is C

Choice A reason: Restraining and forcibly administering medication violates patient autonomy and ethical principles, potentially escalating agitation in psychosis. It risks physical harm and legal issues, as forced medication requires specific legal orders (e.g., involuntary commitment). Non-invasive approaches like negotiation or assessing refusal reasons are safer and more ethical.

Choice B reason: Stating that refusal prevents improvement is coercive and undermines autonomy. It fails to explore reasons for refusal, such as side effect concerns or psychosis-related mistrust, which are common in severe psychosis. This approach may damage trust and hinder therapeutic alliance, making it inappropriate as an initial action.

Choice C reason: Accepting the client’s refusal respects autonomy while prioritizing safety, critical in psychosis where agitation is common. This allows exploration of refusal reasons (e.g., paranoia) and alternative interventions, maintaining a therapeutic environment. Monitoring ensures no immediate harm, making this the most ethical and safe initial response.

Choice D reason: Obtaining a discharge order for nonadherence is premature and inappropriate, as refusal does not warrant immediate discharge. Psychosis requires ongoing assessment and management, and discharge could exacerbate symptoms or risk harm, making this action contrary to the goal of stabilizing the client’s mental health.

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Correct Answer is C

Explanation

Choice A reason: Coercing treatment violates the voluntary client’s autonomy. Legally, voluntary patients can refuse medication unless they pose imminent danger, requiring involuntary commitment. Manipulation or disruption does not meet legal criteria for forced treatment, as mental health laws prioritize patient rights absent clear harm risks.

Choice B reason: A 302 (involuntary commitment) requires evidence of imminent danger to self or others, not just disruptive behavior. Family petitions cannot override this legal threshold without clinical justification, and manipulation alone does not qualify, making this option incorrect for enforcing treatment in a voluntary client.

Choice C reason: As a voluntary client, the individual retains the right to refuse treatment unless deemed a danger to self or others. Mental health laws protect autonomy, and manipulation or lack of progress does not justify forced medication, making refusal a legal right in this scenario.

Choice D reason: Involuntary commitment by a doctor requires evidence of imminent danger or inability to care for oneself, not just disruptive behavior or nonadherence. Without such criteria, the client’s voluntary status protects their right to refuse, making involuntary commitment legally inappropriate in this situation.

A. The voluntarily committed client usually has good insight into their mental health problems B. An involuntarily committed client may not initiate their own discharge C. An involuntarily committed client may refuse treatment D. The voluntarily committed client is usually more aggressive

Correct Answer is B

Explanation

Choice A reason: Insight into mental health problems varies individually and is not a defining feature of voluntary versus involuntary commitment. Both types of patients may lack insight, especially in severe mental illness, making this statement inaccurate as a legal or procedural distinction between commitment types.

Choice B reason: Involuntary commitment, under laws like a 302, restricts a client’s ability to initiate discharge due to assessed danger to self or others. Voluntary clients can request discharge, though medical advice may apply. This legal distinction defines the difference, making it the correct answer.

Choice C reason: Involuntary clients cannot universally refuse treatment, as court-ordered interventions may apply in cases of imminent danger. Both voluntary and involuntary clients have rights to refuse non-emergent treatment, but this is not the primary legal distinction between commitment types, making this option incorrect.

Choice D reason: Aggression is not a defining characteristic of voluntary commitment. Both voluntary and involuntary clients may exhibit aggression, depending on their mental health condition. The distinction lies in legal control over discharge, not behavior, making this statement inaccurate for defining commitment types.

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The healthcare provider prescribes haloperidol 10 mg for a client with severe psychosis, but the client refuses the medication. Which initial nursing action is appropriate?

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Correct Answer is C

Explanation

The nurse recognizes that the difference between a voluntary and an involuntary commitment is what?

Correct Answer is B

Explanation

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