Author Question: What is the new staff nurse's immediate duty when a patient discloses a plan to kill a family member ... (Read 531 times)

joesmith1212 · **on:** Jul 19, 2018

What is the new staff nurse's immediate duty when a patient discloses a plan to kill a family member upon release from the hospital?

a. Discuss the statement with the patient's mental health team but otherwise keep the information confidential.
b. Immediately contact the family member and provide a verbal warning concerning his or her physical safety.
c. Inform the patient that the local police department will be called and that oral and written reports will be filed.
d. Document the information in the patient's medical record, and notify the nursing supervisor of the statement.

Question 2

A nurse who administers an antipsychotic medication explains to the client patient how the medication helps manage the symptoms by affecting:

a. dopamine and GABA.
b. serotonin and dopamine.
c. synaptic neurovesicles and neurodendrites.
d. monoamine oxidase inhibitors and serotonin.

izzat · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 19, 2018

Answer to Question 1

D
The Tarasoff decision gives mental health professionals a duty to warn prospective victims. The initial step in this process is to document the statement and to notify the nursing supervisor that the statement was made and documented.

Answer to Question 2

B
Many psychiatric disorders are thought to be caused by a dysregulation (imbalance) in the complex process of brain structures communicating with each other through neurotransmission. It is currently thought that excessive dopamine and serotonin contribute to dysregulation.