Which statement by a patient with borderline personality disorder ...

[Capo]

Which statement by a patient with borderline personality disorder best indicates the treatment plan is helping?
 
  a. I think you are the best nurse on the unit..
  b. I hate my doctor. He never gives me what I ask for..
  c. I feel empty and want to cut myself, so I called you..
  d. I'm never going to get high on drugs again..

Question 2

When told that he is scheduled to interview a patient with narcissistic personality disorder, the nurse can anticipate the assessment findings will include the following:
 
  a. charm, drama, seductiveness, and admiration seeking.
  b. preoccupation with minute details and perfectionism.
  c. difficulty being alone, indecisiveness, and submissiveness.
  d. grandiosity, self-importance, and a sense of entitlement.

[scikid]

Answer to Question 1

C
The patient's seeking a staff member when distressed, instead of impulsively self-mutilating, shows that the patient has adopted an adaptive coping strategy. You're the best nurse demonstrates idealization, which is a symptom of the disorder and not a sign of improvement; the same is true of devaluing one's doctor. I'm never going to use drugs is a statement of a goal. It may be the patient's intention, but unless the patient demonstrates adaptive coping and sobriety-related behaviors, it is not necessarily an indication of progress.

Answer to Question 2

D
According to the DSM-IV-TR, person with narcissistic personality disorder would have an exalted opinion of themselves, possess a sense of entitlement, and believe their needs should come first. A patient with histrionic personality disorder would be charming, seductive, and seek admiration. An individual with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder would demonstrate rigidity and perfectionism. Indecisiveness, submissiveness, and intolerance for being alone would characterize an individual with dependent personality disorder.