A patient admitted to the mental health unit is experiencing Disturbed Thought Processes. The patient believes that the food is being poisoned. Which communication technique the nurse plan to use to encourage the patient to eat?

1. A

   Using open ended questions and silence

2. B

   Offering opinion about the necessity of adequate nutrition

3. C

   Identifying the reason that the patient may not want to eat

4. D

   Focusing on self-disclosure regarding food preferences

Appeared in: Uttarakhand CHO - 2021

Explanation

• Open-ended questions and silence allow the patient to express fears without confrontation.
• These techniques build trust and reduce anxiety in paranoid or delusional patients.
• Avoiding argument or advice prevents escalation of suspicion and resistance.
• Supports gradual participation in care, including eating.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

• Option B: Offering opinions or advice can increase resistance and mistrust in paranoid patients.
• Option C: Probing for reasons may feel intrusive and worsen mistrust in a paranoid patient.
• Option D: Self-disclosure about food preferences does not address the patient's delusional fears and may seem irrelevant.

Related Visual

Clinical Relevance

• Nursing practice connection: Prioritize focused assessment, early escalation, and real-time monitoring when managing Therapeutic communication with paranoid/delusional patients to encourage eating in acute care settings.
• Nurses must use non-confrontational communication to build trust with patients experiencing delusions.
• Encouraging expression of feelings without challenging the delusion helps reduce anxiety and supports nutritional intake.
• What if? If the nurse argued or insisted on the importance of nutrition, the patient might become more suspicious and refuse all food, worsening malnutrition.

How to Approach the Question

• Identify the patient's main problem (paranoid delusion about food).
• Recall therapeutic communication principles for psychotic or paranoid patients.
• Eliminate options that involve confrontation, advice, or self-disclosure.
• Choose the technique that prioritizes trust and patient expression.

Concept Tested & Keywords

• Concept Tested: Therapeutic communication with paranoid/delusional patients to encourage eating
• Stem keywords: Disturbed Thought Processes, food is being poisoned, mental health unit, encourage the patient to eat
• Lead-in keywords: communication technique, nurse plan
• Clinical cues: Patient believes food is poisoned (paranoid delusion)
• Clinical cues: Refusal to eat due to suspicion

Question ID

QUlNjL5Vr14Qth-GZKJ-TL

Copy ID

Reference Book

E6 Guide to Mental Health & PSYCHIATRIC NURSING R Sreevani— Part 1 (pp 26-289 of 579) p. 190-192

E6 Nursing Fundamentals Potter Perry 12e Part 4 p. 48-50