A patient holds a knife to his throat and tells a family member ...

[neverstopbelieb]

A patient holds a knife to his throat and tells a family member that voices in his head are telling him to kill himself. The patient may be admitted to the psychiatric unit under which type of admission?
 
  1. Commitment
  2. Temporary admission
  3. Observational admission
  4. Emergency involuntary admission

Question 2

The patient admitted to the mental health unit is concerned that health information given to the nurse remains confidential. What is the nurse's best response?
 
  1. We can keep the information just between the two of us if you prefer.
  2. I will share the information with staff members only with your approval.
  3. You can choose whether your physician needs this information for your care.
  4. If the information is important to your care, I will need to share it with the staff.

[akemokai]

Answer to Question 1

Answer: 4
Explanation: The patient is a danger to himself at this time and may be admitted as an emergency involuntary admission. A temporary or observational admission is indicated for diagnosis and treatment in non-emergent situations. Commitment is a long involuntary admission that requires higher procedural safeguards.

Answer to Question 2

Answer: 4
Explanation: The nurse is obligated to share with the patient the limits of confidentiality in nurse-patient exchanges. Information gathering and sharing are part of the mental health nurse's role, and the expectation is that the nurse will accurately portray and convey data about the patient. The nurse would not keep information from the rest of the mental health team.