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Psych HESI Hints
Course: Mental Health Nursing (NUR 3328)
48 Documents
Students shared 48 documents in this course
University: Baylor University
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Psych HESI Hints
1. The purpose of therapeutic interaction with clients is to allow them the autonomy to make
choices when appropriate. Keep statements value-free, advice-free, and reassurance-free.
Remember, just the facts! No opinions!
2. What action should the nurse take in a psychiatric situation when the client describes a
physical problem? Assess, assess, assess! If a client in the psychiatric unit with paranoid
schizophrenia complains of chest pain, take his or her BP. If the obstetrical client who has
delivered a dead fetus complains of perineal pain, look at the perineal area (she may have
a hematoma). Just because the focus of the client’s situation is on his or her psychological
needs, it does not mean that the nurse can ignore physiologic needs.
3. Basic communication principles can be applied to all clients:
Establish trust.
Demonstrate a nonjudgmental attitude.
Offer self; be empathetic, not sympathetic.
Use active listening.
Accept and support client’s feelings.
Clarify and validate client’s statements.
Use matter-of-fact approach.
4. Remember, a nurse’s nonverbal communication may be more important than the verbal
communication.
5. A question concerning nurse–client confidentiality appears often on the NCLEX-RN. For
the nurse to tell a client that he or she will not tell anyone about their discussion puts the
nurse in a difficult position. Some information must be shared with other team
members for the client’s safety (e.g., suicide plan) and optimal therapy.
6. Nausea is a common complaint after ECT . Vomiting by an unconscious client can lead
to aspiration. Because post-ECT clients are unconscious, the nurse must observe closely
for the possibility of aspiration: maintain a patent airway!
7. Common physiologic responses to anxiety include increased heart rate and blood
pressure; rapid, shallow respirations; dry mouth and tight feeling in throat; tremors and
muscle tension; anorexia; urinary frequency; and palmar sweating.
8. Anxiety is very contagious and is easily transferred from client to nurse and from nurse to
client. First, the nurse must assess his or her own level of anxiety and remain calm. A
calm nurse helps the client to gain control, decrease anxiety, and increase feelings of
security.
9. When a client describes a phobia or expresses an unreasonable fear, the nurse should
acknowledge the feeling (fear) and refrain from exposing the client to the identified fear.
After trust is established, a desensitization process may be prescribed. Desensitization is
the nursing intervention for phobia disorders. The nurse should:
Assist client to recognize the factors associated with feared stimuli that precipitate
a phobic response.