Question

A nurse on a mental health unit is caring for a recently admitted client. Exhibit 1 Vital signs 0800 Blood pressure 110/78 Heart rate 76/min Respiratory rate 18/min Temperature 37C (98.6F) 1200 Blood pressure 116/80 Heart rate 88/min Respiratory rate 20/min Temperature 38C (100.4) Exhibit 2 Medical History 22-year-old client admitted following episodes of hallucinations and delusions. Outpatient treatment has been ineffective. The client has been unable to maintain a job, and friends have said the client has been acting different than usual. Family members notice that the client no longer maintains a clean and neat appearance. For each potential assessment finding, click to specify if it is a POSITIVE or NEGATIVE symptom of schizophrenia.

A) Positive.
B) Negative.

Answer 1

Positive symptoms of schizophrenia include hallucinations and delusions, while negative symptoms involve the absence of normal behaviors.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student is asked to identify whether certain assessment findings are positive or negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Positive symptoms are characterized by the presence of abnormal behaviors or experiences, such as hallucinations and delusions. Negative symptoms, on the other hand, involve the absence of normal behaviors or experiences, such as a flattened emotional state and loss of basic drives.

In the given scenario, hallucinations and delusions mentioned in the medical history are positive symptoms of schizophrenia. The client no longer maintaining a clean and neat appearance is also a negative symptom. Therefore, the assessment findings can be categorized as follows:

A) Positive - Hallucinations, Delusions

B) Negative - Change in appearance