Question

A nurse recalls that the environment is important when caring for a client with the diagnosis of bipolar II disorder with manic episodes. What should the nurse do when caring for clients with this disorder?

1) Provide a calm and structured environment
2) Encourage social interaction
3) Expose the client to bright lights
4) Allow the client to engage in impulsive behaviors

Answer 1

Nurses should provide a calm and structured environment to clients with bipolar II disorder experiencing manic episodes. This includes reducing overstimulation, maintaining regular routines, and closely monitoring social interactions to avoid exacerbating manic behavior.

Step-by-step explanation:

When caring for clients with bipolar II disorder with manic episodes, it is important for nurses to provide a calm and structured environment. This approach helps to minimize overstimulation, which can exacerbate manic behavior. Providing a calm setting includes reducing noise, limiting bright lights, and avoiding activities that can increase agitation or promote impulsive behaviors. It is also crucial to establish and maintain regular routines for activities such as meals, sleep, and medication schedules to help stabilize mood fluctuations.

Clients should not be encouraged to engage in impulsive behaviors or be exposed to bright lights, as these could worsen the manic episode. While social interaction can be beneficial, it needs to be monitored and managed to ensure it does not become overwhelming for the client. In the context of bipolar disorder, manic episodes can severely disrupt concentration, leading to distraction and difficulty in maintaining focus, which can impact the client's interaction with others.

The goal of these interventions is to support the person's mental health while helping them navigate the challenges presented by mood swings and other symptoms associated with bipolar II disorder.