Author Question: As part of a focused assessment, the nurse asked the client to describe her mood this morning. In ... (Read 117 times)

saliriagwu · **on:** Jul 19, 2018

As part of a focused assessment, the nurse asked the client to describe her mood this morning. In response, the client stated, It is what it is. Which of the following examples of nursing documentation is most appropriate?

A) Client is nonspecific about her mood.
B) Client states about her mood, 'It is what it is.'
C) Client is currently feeling ambivalent.
D) Client feels resigned to her symptoms of depression.

Question 2

A former soldier has returned from a tour of duty with posttraumatic stress disorder. During a therapy session, he has been asked to describe some of the scenes he witnessed.

Which of the following responses would prompt the nurse to document the client's affect as flat?

A) The client describes the death of a fellow soldier in darkly comic terms.
B) The client fights back tears when describing a fellow soldier's suffering from injuries.
C) The client adamantly refuses to describe what he witnessed overseas.
D) The client provides a factual but monotone and nonexpressive description of wartime events.

brittrenee · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 19, 2018

Answer to Question 1

Ans: B
When documenting assessment findings, it is important to use the client's own words whenever possible. Subjectively describing a client's mood or speculating about underlying meanings is inappropriate and potentially inaccurate.

Answer to Question 2

Ans: D
A flat affect is characterized by an absence or near absence of any signs of affective responses, such as an immobile face and monotonous tone of voice.