NCLEX: A client in an outpatient clinic is being evaluated for nursing care related to grief and coping. Assessment data…

Psychology / lifespan development Health Promotion and Maintenance

Case Study

A client in an outpatient clinic is being evaluated for nursing care related to grief and coping. Assessment data include the client reports hearing voices telling them to hurt themselves. Which nursing action is the priority to keep the client safe?

Question

A. Leave the client alone to promote independence while finishing charting.
B. Apply the first intervention in the policy manual without a current assessment.
C. Stay with the client, remove immediate hazards, reassess, and escalate per facility safety protocol.
D. Apply restraints without assessing less restrictive safety options first.

Rationale

Correct answer: C. Stay with the client, remove immediate hazards, reassess, and escalate per facility safety protocol.

Rationale: Client safety requires direct assessment, hazard reduction, and timely escalation rather than assumptions, abandonment, or policy-only actions.

Hint: Apply ABCs, client stability, and NCSBN clinical judgment steps before choosing an intervention.

Level: Advanced

Difficulty: Hard

Subtopic: Grief and coping