Mental Health Nursing Flashcards

What is the priority nursing intervention for a patient expressing suicidal ideation?

Answer: Ensure immediate safety, stay with the patient, remove harmful objects, activate the safety protocol, and notify the psychiatrist

Suicidal patient priority: never leave them alone, ensure environmental safety (remove sharps, belts, cords), activate hospital safety/suicide prevention protocol, perform a thorough suicide risk assessment, notify the psychiatrist, and provide one-to-one continuous observation.

What are the therapeutic communication techniques used in mental health nursing?

Answer: Active listening, open-ended questions, reflection, silence, summarizing, and empathic responses

Therapeutic communication includes: active listening (full attention), open-ended questions ('Tell me about...'), reflection (repeating key thoughts), therapeutic silence, summarizing, empathy, and validation. These build trust and encourage patient expression in Saudi mental health settings.

What is the nursing management for a patient experiencing an acute psychotic episode?

Answer: Maintain a calm, safe environment, use clear simple communication, ensure patient safety, administer prescribed medications, and avoid challenging delusions

During acute psychosis: ensure safety (patient and staff), maintain calm demeanor, use clear simple language, don't argue with or reinforce delusions, administer antipsychotic medications as prescribed, reduce environmental stimulation, and provide reassurance.

What are the common side effects of antipsychotic medications that nurses should monitor?

Answer: Extrapyramidal symptoms (dystonia, akathisia, tardive dyskinesia), sedation, weight gain, and metabolic syndrome

Antipsychotic side effects include: EPS (muscle stiffness, tremors, restlessness, involuntary movements), sedation, significant weight gain, metabolic syndrome (diabetes risk), orthostatic hypotension, and rare but dangerous neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS).

What is the nurse's role in caring for a patient with anxiety disorder?

Answer: Provide a calm environment, teach relaxation techniques, administer anxiolytics as prescribed, and use therapeutic communication

Anxiety nursing care: maintain calm therapeutic presence, teach deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation, administer medications as prescribed (monitor for benzodiazepine dependence), use therapeutic communication, help identify triggers, and support cognitive behavioral strategies.

What are the signs of neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) that require immediate intervention?

Answer: High fever, severe muscle rigidity, altered consciousness, autonomic instability, and elevated creatine kinase

NMS is a life-threatening reaction to antipsychotics: hyperthermia (>38°C), severe muscle rigidity ('lead pipe'), altered mental status, autonomic instability (BP/HR fluctuations, sweating), and elevated CK levels. This is a medical emergency requiring immediate medication discontinuation and ICU care.