Author Question: The nurse is taking care of patient admitted with a diagnosis of dissociative identity disorder. The ... (Read 59 times)

AEWBW · **on:** Jul 19, 2018

The nurse is taking care of patient admitted with a diagnosis of dissociative identity disorder. The nurse knows that which symptoms differentiate dissociative disorders from somatic symptom disorder? Select all that apply.

1. Flashbacks
2. Self-mutilation
3. Dissociation
4. Struggling with faith
5. Lack of connectedness

Question 2

The nurse is caring for a patient with somatic symptom disorder. What information is most important for the nurse to include in the report to the staff on the next shift?

1. The trigger for the patient's worries
2. The original source of the patient's anxiety
3. The amount of time the patient talked about physical complaints
4. The patient's use of abdominal breathing at the first sign of anxiety

ghepp · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 19, 2018

Answer to Question 1

Answer: 1, 2
Explanation: Individuals with dissociative disorders exhibit symptoms of alterations in sensory or motor functioning; alterations in memory; changes in consciousness; inability to recall autobiographical information; self-mutilation; flashbacks; and functional neurologic symptoms. These symptoms are not seen in somatic symptom disorder. Dissociation, struggling with faith, and lack of connectedness may be seen in individuals suffering from either disorder.

Answer to Question 2

Answer: 3
Explanation: Patients with somatic symptom disorder exhibit excessive focus on their physical symptoms. It is essential the staff on the next shift know how much time the patient talks about physical complaints in order to evaluate whether the patient meets the goal of decreasing that time spent on talking about the physical complaints. While the other information may be helpful to other staff members, it is not as important as how much time the patient has spent focusing on physical complaints.