Which intervention should the nurse use first when caring for a patient experiencing anxiety?
a. Assist the patient to problem solve.
b. Provide support and understanding.
c. Reorient the patient.
d. Provide privacy.
B
Patients with anxiety disorders experience discomfort from the anxiety. The patient must feel safe, acknowledged, and cared for before problem solving can begin. The nurse's first priority is to provide support and understanding. Allowing the patient to remain alone fosters social withdrawal and may allow anxiety to increase. Patients with anxiety seldom lose contact with reality.
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The postpartum patient complains of discomfort in her breasts. When explaining engorgement to the mother, the nurse states that it:
a. occurs on the first or second postpartum day. b. is first observed in the axillary region. c. occurs only in women who are not breastfeeding. d. occurs near the nipple on the third postpartum day.
On admission to the acute care unit a patient
tells you that she stopped taking her prescribed clonazepam (Klonopin) 2 days ago. What is your best first action? a. Ask the patient why she stopped taking the clonazepam. b. Administer a dose of clonazepam immediately. c. Document this information as the only action. d. Notify the prescriber and watch for seizures.
Perceived stress elicits an emotional, anticipatory response that begins where?
a. Prefrontal cortex b. Anterior pituitary c. Limbic system d. Hypothalamus
Which of the following statements would correctly serve as a basis for teaching a family the usu-al outcome of an adjustment disorder?
1. The symptoms will likely resolve completely. 2. The client may continue to be in danger of self-harm. 3. Medications are frequently used to mask the symptoms. 4. Relaxation is an effective tool to decrease stress.