Final answer:
For a client with acute anxiety, initial interventions typically include a safe environment, opportunities to verbalize feelings, and calm interactions. However, initiating physical contact without prior assessment of the client's comfort with touch is not recommended as an initial step.
Step-by-step explanation:
When dealing with a client who is experiencing acute anxiety, the goal is to reduce the anxiety level to a more manageable state and to ensure the client's safety. Intervention strategies typically include providing a calm environment, allowing the client to express their feelings, and approaching them in a soothing manner. However, touching the client may not always be an appropriate initial intervention, especially if the client's personal space and boundaries are not fully known or if touch could escalate the anxiety.
Appropriate initial interventions for acute anxiety would be:
- Providing the client with a safe, quiet, and private place to help reduce external stimuli.
- Encouraging the client to verbalize feelings and concerns as talking about worries can help in reducing anxiety.
- Approaching the client in a calm, confident manner as it helps instill a sense of security and trust.
- Touching the client may not be appropriate without consent or without assessing the client's comfort level with physical contact.
Thus, option 4 would be the answer to the initial question "Initial interventions for the client with acute anxiety would not include touching the client in an attempt to comfort him." This approach could be considered once a therapeutic relationship has been established, and it has been confirmed that the patient is receptive to this form of comfort.