A person who has been fired from a job calls the mental health clinic and tells a nurse, "I feel so overwhelmed that I don't see any other answer but to die.". Another voice can be heard in the background. Which action should the nurse take?
a. Convince the caller to drive to the hospital.
b. Get the caller's address, go to the home, and take the caller to the hospital.
c. Stay on the telephone and send the police to bring the caller to the hospital.
d. Ask to speak to the other person and alert them to the caller's suicide threat.
D
Most suicidal patients have some ambivalence. In this case the patient is most likely experiencing both a need to die and a desire to live. With this strategy the nurse is appealing to the patient's desire to survive by procuring support through the intervention of the other person.
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