NCLEX-RN · Question #773
A 27-year-old male client is admitted to the acute care mental health unit for observation. He has recently lost his job, and his wife told him yesterday that she wants a divorce. The client is…
The correct answer is C. Mood and affect. (A) Assessing the client's level of insight is an important part of the mental status exam (MSE), but it does not reflect suicide potential. (B) Assessing the client's thought processes is an important part of the MSE, but it does not reflect suicide potential. (C) Assessing…
Question
A 27-year-old male client is admitted to the acute care mental health unit for observation. He has recently lost his job, and his wife told him yesterday that she wants a divorce. The client is placed on suicide precautions. In assessing suicide potential, the nurse should pay close attention to the client's:
Options
- ALevel of insight
- BThought processes
- CMood and affect
- DAbstracting abilities
How the community answered
(53 responses)- A11% (6)
- B6% (3)
- C81% (43)
- D2% (1)
Explanation
(A) Assessing the client's level of insight is an important part of the mental status exam (MSE), but it does not reflect suicide potential. (B) Assessing the client's thought processes is an important part of the MSE, but it does not reflect suicide potential. (C) Assessing the client's mood and affect is an important part of the MSE, and it can be a very valuable indicator of suicide potential. Frequently a client who has decided to proceed with suicide plans will exhibit a suddenly improved mood and affect. (D) Assessing a client's abstracting abilities is an important part of the MSE, but it does not reflect suicide potential.
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