The nurse is caring for a client who has bipolar disorder and is experiencing acute mania.
Which of the following actions should be prioritized by the nurse?
The nurse is caring for a client who has bipolar disorder and is experiencing acute mania.
Which of the following actions should be prioritized by the nurse?
A. Plan structured solitary activities
[16%]
B. Redirect the client's speech and ideas
[22%]
C. Provide high-calorie, small, frequent meals
[52%]
D. Initiate a psychiatry referral
[9%]
Statistics
Subject/Lesson
Subject
Mental Health
Lesson
Mental Health
Client Need
Test Plan
Psychosocial Integrity
Related Topic
Mental Health Concepts
Item Type
Item Type
Analysis
Explanation
Choice C is correct. A client experiencing acute mania manifests symptoms such as inflated self-esteem, flight of ideas, psychomotor agitation, and an expansive affect. The client experiencing mania often has difficulty sleeping and exerts excessive physical energy. Thus, the nurse must meet the client's nutrition needs by offering high-calorie, small, frequent meals. This is the priority based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (physiological).
Choice A is incorrect. While planning structured solitary activities may be beneficial for managing the client's hyperactivity and preventing overstimulation, it is not the most urgent action.
Choice B is incorrect. Redirecting the client's fragmented speech and ideas helps manage their symptoms and maintain their safety. While important for therapeutic communication, this intervention is not as urgent as meeting the client's physiological needs for nutrition.
Choice D is incorrect. Initiating a psychiatry referral is essential for comprehensive assessment and management of the client's acute mania. While important for long-term care, this intervention is not as urgent as meeting the client's immediate physiological needs for nutrition.
Related Videos
4 Key Topics
Bipolar Disorder
32.3 Major Psychiatric Disorders
Hierarchy of Needs
15.6 Prioritization Part 2
Additional Info
✓ Acute mania is a state of abnormally elevated mood, energy, and activity levels often associated with bipolar disorder. It is characterized by intense feelings of euphoria, irritability, or agitation, along with symptoms such as:
- Increased Energy
- Decreased Need for Sleep
- Rapid Speech
- Grandiosity
- Impaired Judgment
- Agitation or Irritability
✓ Manifestations of mania include an expansive effect, tangential speech, impaired reality testing, flight of ideas, and psychomotor agitation
✓ Medications used to treat bipolar disorder include lithium, quetiapine, aripiprazole, olanzapine, and oxcarbazepine
