Question

A nurse is speaking with a client who has schizophrenia when he suddenly seems to stop focusing on the nurse's questions and begins looking at the ceiling and talking to himself. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

A. Stop the interview at this point, and resume later when the client is better able to concentrate.
B. Ask the client, "Are you seeing something on the ceiling?"
C. Tell the client, "You seem to be looking at something on the ceiling. I see something there, too."
D. Continue the interview without comment on the client's behavior.

ATI RN Mental Health Nursing Modules Ch. 14 Notes

Answer 1

The nurse should kindly ask the client if they are seeing something on the ceiling to engage non-threateningly and understand the client's experience.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a nurse is speaking with a client who has schizophrenia and the client starts looking at the ceiling and talking to himself, the nurse should take the following action: Ask the client, "Are you seeing something on the ceiling?" This response is non-threatening, acknowledges the client's experience, and allows the nurse to gather more information about the client's sensory experiences and potential hallucinations. In contrast, suggesting the shared experience of seeing something might validate the hallucination (which is not recommended), while stopping the interview or ignoring the behavior could dismiss the client's current mental state, which is also not conducive to therapeutic communication.