The patient has been depressed and the physician plans to begin treatment with an antidepressant medication. In performing the initial assessment, what is the most important question for the nurse to ask?

Question

1. "How much alcohol do you consume during the week?"
2. "Are you allergic to any medications?"
3. "How long have you been depressed?"
4. "Have you had any thoughts about killing yourself?"

Answer 1

Correct Answer: 4
Rationale: The nurse should always assess for suicidal ideation in any depressed patient who is about to begin antidepressant treatment. The medication takes several weeks before the full benefit is obtained. This is a safety issue. The length of the patient's depression is important, but is not a safety issue. Assessing for alcohol intake is important, but is not a safety issue. Asking about allergies is a good safety question, but is not the priority with a depressed patient, and there are very few allergies to antidepressant medication. This question can be asked later.