A client is admitted to the psychiatric unit of a local hospital. During the nursing assessment, the nurse finds the client is poorly groomed, wearing dirty clothes, tearful, and reports weight loss with poor appetite

Question

The nurse formulates a nursing diagnosis of Depressed Mood. What are the most appropriate nursing outcomes for this client? Select all that apply.
a. Eats a well-balanced diet
b. Depressed mood resolves by discharge
c. Bathes, washes, and maintains grooming and hygiene
d. Develops a spiritual belief system or engages in a religious affiliation

Answer 1

A, C
Based on the description of this client in this item, the nurse has developed the nursing diagnosis of Depressed Mood. Appropriate outcomes include eating a well-balanced meal and maintaining grooming and hygiene; both of these may be neglected when a client is depressed. The nurse can discuss and explore spirituality with this client; however, this outcome may or may not contribute to resolution of a problem of Depressed Mood. Additionally, an appropriate outcome may be that the client reports feeling less sad and depressed; however, it may not be realistic or attainable that this client's depressed mood will be resolved by discharge.