The nurse is performing an admission assessment for a client on the behavioral health unit with depression and anxiety. Which goal of therapeutic communication will the nurse prioritize?

Choice A reason: Hypoglycemia involves low blood glucose, causing symptoms like shakiness or confusion, not muscle weakness or arrhythmias. Hypertonic glucose and insulin would worsen hypoglycemia by increasing glucose uptake, and sodium bicarbonate is irrelevant. These symptoms and treatments align with hyperkalemia, not low glucose levels, in renal failure.

Choice B reason: Hyperkalemia, common in acute renal failure due to impaired potassium excretion, causes muscle weakness and cardiac arrhythmias by altering membrane potentials. Hypertonic glucose and insulin drive potassium into cells, while sodium bicarbonate corrects acidosis, stabilizing cardiac membranes, making this the targeted complication for the prescribed treatment.

Choice C reason: Hypernatremia (high sodium) causes neurological symptoms like confusion, not muscle weakness or arrhythmias. The prescribed treatments do not address sodium levels; insulin and glucose manage potassium, and bicarbonate corrects acidosis. Hypernatremia is not a primary concern in acute renal failure with these symptoms.

Choice D reason: Hypokalemia (low potassium) causes muscle weakness and arrhythmias but is rare in acute renal failure, where hyperkalemia is typical due to reduced excretion. The prescribed treatments aim to lower potassium, not increase it, making hypokalemia an incorrect target for this therapy in the context of renal failure.

Choice A reason: Advancing the catheter further risks perforation or malposition, potentially damaging peritoneal tissues or organs. Slow drainage is often due to positional obstruction or constipation, not catheter depth. This invasive action requires medical orders and imaging confirmation, making it inappropriate as a first step in addressing slow drainage.

Choice B reason: Infusing additional dialysate worsens abdominal distension and does not address slow drainage. It may increase intra-abdominal pressure, causing discomfort or complications like hernia. The issue is outflow obstruction, not insufficient dialysate, so adding more fluid is counterproductive and could exacerbate the client’s condition.

Choice C reason: Aspirating with a syringe is not standard practice and risks introducing infection or damaging the catheter. It does not address underlying causes like positional obstruction or fibrin clots. Medical evaluation or specialized interventions like heparin instillation are needed for persistent drainage issues, making this action inappropriate.

Choice D reason: Repositioning the client facilitates drainage by relieving positional obstructions, such as catheter kinking or omental wrapping, common in peritoneal dialysis. Changing positions (e.g., side-lying or sitting) promotes gravity-assisted flow, reducing abdominal girth and improving exchange efficiency. This non-invasive action is the safest and most effective initial step.