A patient is admitted into the ICU with the diagnosis of gunshot wound to the head, suicide attempt. While the patient is in the ICU the nurse's interventions should include
a. limiting interaction with the patient due to antisocial behaviors exhibited by the suicidal attempt.
b. ignoring the patient's need to talk about the incident.
c. validating the patient's worth and self-esteem.
d. discontinuing any psychotropic medications.
C
While the patient is in the unit, primary nursing interventions include validating the patient's worth and self-esteem and helping him or her regulate emotional states and behaviors. Patients who have attempted suicide are often stigmatized, and caregivers can resent caring for a person whose critical condition is self-inflicted. A suicide attempt indicates, however, that the patient was experiencing personal and spiritual distress to the point of wanting to end his or her life. The critical care team should make every effort to continue medications for mental health conditions during the critical care stay unless medically contraindicated. If the patient is unable to take oral medications, the team should attempt to find an alternative route if possible.
You might also like to view...
A patient has a history of COPD. His pulse oximetry reading is 97%. What other findings would indicate adequate tissue and organ oxygenation? Select all that apply
a. Normal urine output b. Strong peripheral pulses c. Clear breath sounds bilaterally d. Normal muscle strength
The clinic nurse assesses a client with diabetes during a checkup. The client also has osteoarthritis (OA). The nurse notes the client's blood glucose readings have been elevated. What question by the nurse is most appropriate?
a. "Are you compliant with following the diabetic diet?" b. "Have you been taking glucosamine supplements?" c. "How much exercise do you really get each week?" d. "You're still taking your diabetic medication, right?"
The nurse is caring for a patient with mental illness who asks the nurse, "I have a friend who tells me that I should look into using complementary and alternative medicine to help treat my disease. What is that?" What is the nurse's best respon
1. "It is a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that may be used but are not considered evidence-based medicine." 2. "It is a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not generally considered part of traditional medicine." 3. "It is a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not generally considered useful in treating mental illness." 4. "It is a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are used extensively in the treatment of mental illness."
An experimental design is most likely to be used in:
A) Impact analyses B) Outcome analyses C) Process evaluations D) Formative evaluations