Question

During an initial assessment, a client exhibits pressured speech and points to patterns on the wallpaper stating, "This is the writing about the tsunami. Thousands of people died because I read the writing." Which term should the nurse use to document this observation?

Answer 1

The nurse should document the client's remarks and behavior as showing signs of delusions and potentially psychotic features, which often accompany psychiatric conditions that necessitate further evaluation and treatment.

Step-by-step explanation:

The client exhibiting pressured speech and making illogical connections, such as patterns on a wallpaper being related to natural disasters, could be documented as demonstrating delusions and potentially psychotic features.

Pressured speech is a rapid and incessant talking, often seen in manic episodes of bipolar disorder, while delusions are false fixed beliefs that are resistant to reason or conflicting evidence, possibly observed in various psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia. The nurse should document these observations accurately as they can be indicative of an underlying psychiatric disorder that may require immediate attention and treatment.