Which nursing action best addresses the needs of a paranoid patient who believes the food is poisoned?
a. Explaining that others eat the food and are not harmed
b. Allowing the patient to select food from vending machines
c. Encouraging the patient to discuss why someone would poison the food
d. Taking steps to prevent the patient from verbalizing the delusional thoughts
ANS: B
Patients who think hospital food is being poisoned will sometimes eat wrapped foods that have not been opened, and occasionally, they may eat food brought from the outside by a trusted person. Delusions are fixed, false beliefs that cannot be refuted by logic. The patient will probably state that the others have been given the antidote to the poison. Encouraging discussion about the delusion is not therapeutic. Although it is wise to minimize the amount of discussion about delusions, refusing to allow the patient to speak about the delusions will not foster a therapeutic alliance.
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