A salesman has had difficulty holding a job because he accuses co-workers of conspiring to take his
sales. Today, he argued with several office mates and threatened to kill one of them.
The police were
called, and he was brought to the mental health center for evaluation. He has had previous
admissions to the unit for stabilization of symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia. When the nurse
meets him, he points at staff in the nursing station and states loudly They're all plotting to destroy
me. Isn't that true? An appropriate response for the nurse would be
a. No, that is not true. People here are trying to help you if you will let them..
b. Everyone here is trying to help you. No one wants to harm you..
c. Thinking that people want to destroy you must be very frightening..
d. That is absurd. Staff are health care workers, not members of the mob..
Question 2
A depressed client who is taking a tricyclic antidepressant tells the nurse I don't think I can keep
taking these pills. They make me very dizzy, especially when I stand up.. The nurse should
a. explain how to mange hypotension and reassure that side effects go away after
several weeks.
b. tell the client that the side effects are a minor inconvenience compared with
feelings of depression.
c. withhold the drug and have the physician examine the client.
d. perform a mental status examination on the client.