Mental Health Nursing
A 42-year-old patient is admitted in the Female Medical Ward for sickle cell anemia.
She is irritable and shouting on her helper and the nursing staff. The nurse has politely discussed her concerns and finally asked why she has been shouting on others. The patient stated that because her husband did not visit her even once during her hospitalization. Which of the following nursing interventions must have priority?
Explanation
Core Concept: Psychosocial nursing, patient empowerment, and therapeutic communication. Promoting autonomy helps patients cope with the emotional burden of chronic illness and perceived lack of support.
Clinical Presentation:
- Irritability, anger, emotional distress, and displaced aggression
- Feelings of abandonment or isolation
Diagnosis:
- First-line: Psychosocial assessment, active listening, and identifying emotional triggers.
- Gold Standard: Multidisciplinary evaluation involving medical social workers and clinical psychologists.
Management:
- Acute: Encourage the patient to identify her feelings and brainstorm her own solutions. This fosters a sense of control and self-efficacy rather than fostering dependency on the nurse to 'fix' interpersonal issues.
- Long-term/Definitive: Facilitate family counseling, cognitive-behavioral coping strategies, and connect the patient with chronic disease support groups.