Psychotic Disorders no. 4035

Psychotic Disorders no. 4035

QUESTION: The nurse is preparing for the discharge of a client who has been hospitalized for paranoid schizophrenia. The client's husband expresses concern over whether his wife will continue to take her daily prescribed medication. The nurse should inform him that:

✘O a.) his concern is valid, but his wife is an adult and has the right to make her own decisions.
✘O b.) he can easily mix the medication in his wife's food if she stops taking it.
✓O c.) his wife can be given a long-acting medication that is administered every 1 to 4 weeks.
✘O d.) his wife knows she must take her medication as prescribed to avoid future hospitalizations.

RATIONALE

RATIONALE: Long-acting psychotropic drugs can be administered by depot injection every 1 to 4 weeks. These agents are useful for noncompliant clients because the client receives the injection at the outpatient clinic. A client has the right to refuse medication, but this issue isn't the focus of discussion at this time. Medication should never be hidden in food or drink to trick the client into taking it; in addition to destroying the client's trust, doing so would place the client at risk for overmedication or undermedication because the amount administered is hard to determine. Assuming the client knows she must take the medication to avoid future hospitalizations would be unrealistic.
NURSING PROCESS STEP: Implementation
CLIENT NEEDS CATEGORY: Psychosocial integrity
CLIENT NEEDS SUBCATEGORY: None
COGNITIVE LEVEL: Comprehension