Question

It is lunchtime at a mental health facility, and a client is unable to open her door because she has run out of the paper towels she uses to avoid touching the doorknob. What is the priority intervention by the nurse?

Answer 1

The priority of intervention by the nurse is giving the client a supply of paper towels and then sending the client to a supply of paper towels and then sending her to the dining room to have the lunch.

When the client is provided with paper towels takes into the consideration fact that clients anxiety will increase if the ritual is being interpreted.
This helps the clients to complete the ritual and encourage the door without performing the ritual denies the ritual which will result in an increased anxiety.
This will precipitate a conflict between completing ritual and going to the dining room.

Answer 2

The client in the situation has a disorder which is called Obsessive Compulsive disorder which is a disorder for a person having ideas or obsessions and making them repetitively such as using a paper towel every time a door knob needs to be open as stated in the situation.The priority intervention the nurse should do is to provide assurance to the patient that he or she can help him or her to open the door but if he or she insisted then the nurse can provide a paper towel for him or her to open the door and he or she can be at ease.