Exam 24: Suicide

A staff nurse tells another nurse,"I just used the SAD PERSONS scale to evaluate a man who sometimes thinks about suicide;his score was 8.I'm wondering if I should send him home after arranging for follow-up." The best reply by the second nurse would be:

The nurse uses the SAD PERSONS scale as he interviews a patient who has expressed suicidal ideation.This tool provides data relevant to:

A college student who attempted suicide by overdose was treated in the emergency department.Because the patient lives in the dorm and her roommate and her parents are away,the decision was made to hospitalize her.The nursing diagnosis of highest priority would be:

An indicator that the suicidal patient is exercising suicide self-restraint is:

When assessing a patient's plan for suicide,the priority areas to consider include:

A 20-year-old economics major became severely depressed after failing two examinations in economics.She cried for 2 hours,then called her parents who live in a neighboring state,planning to ask if she could return home.However,her parents were in Europe.When her roommate went home for the weekend,the patient gave her three expensive sweaters to keep.Later,the dormitory resident assistant returned a book to the patient's room and found her unconscious on the floor,with an empty pill bottle nearby.The patient behavior that provided a clue to the suicide attempt was:

An adolescent whose peer committed suicide attempts suicide himself and is admitted to an inpatient mental health unit and assessed as being at high risk for self-harm.Which of the following nursing actions would be most appropriate to assure his safety during his first few days in the hospital?

A new nurse mentions to a peer,"My patient has just been diagnosed with schizophrenia.At least I will not have to worry about him being suicidal." The most helpful response by the peer would be:

A patient who has attempted suicide by taking a handful of ibuprofen (Motrin)is admitted to the mental health unit.She had attempted suicide three times previously,each by overdose on over-the-counter medications,and in each case was found by family or peers in time to prevent her death,eventually being admitted to this mental health unit each time.Which of the following nursing responses would be most appropriate?

An adolescent whose peer committed suicide attempts suicide himself but is now ready for discharge to outpatient care.Which of the following actions would be most important to accomplish before the discharge?

Which suicide plan is most lethal?

Every person who thinks about suicide should be considered to be:

The nurse working the telephone suicide crisis line receives a call from a man who tells her he lives alone in a home several miles from his nearest neighbors.He has been considering suicide for 2 months.He has had several drinks and has loaded his shotgun,with which he plans to shoot himself in the chest.How should the nurse assess the lethality of this plan?

When suicidal patients are admitted to a hospital,objects that can easily be used for self-harm are removed from their possession.The rationale for this intervention is that:

An adolescent who attempted suicide and was admitted to an inpatient mental health unit had been assessed as being at high risk of self-harm,but he has shown improvement.His doctor is now considering discharge and asks the nurse's opinion.Which of the following observations most reliably indicates that he may be ready for discharge to outpatient care?

A tearful,anxious man comes to the clinic with the chief complaint,"I should be dead." The first task of the nurse conducting the assessment interview is to:

The measure that would be considered a form of primary prevention for suicide is:

A highly suicidal patient who has been hospitalized for 2 weeks committed suicide during the night.The measure that will be helpful to staff and patients having to deal with the event is:

The statement made by the patient during the assessment interview that should alert the nurse to the patient's need for immediate,active intervention is:

A college student who attempted suicide by overdose was treated in the emergency department.Because she had no available social supports,she was hospitalized.An outcome related to the nursing diagnosis Risk for self-directed violence is that the patient will: