Essentials of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing 6th Edition by Mary Townsend

Exercise 1

Margaret, a 68-year-old widow, is brought to the emergency department by her sister-in-law. Margaret has a history of bipolar disorder and has been maintained on medication for many years. Her sister-in-law reports that Margaret quit taking her medication a few months ago, thinking she didn't need it anymore. She is agitated, pacing, demanding, and speaking very loudly. Her sister-in-law reports that Margaret eats very little, is losing weight, and almost never sleeps. "I'm afraid she's going to just collapse!" Margaret is admitted to the psychiatric unit. The priority nursing diagnosis for Margaret is
A) imbalanced nutrition: less than body requirements related to not eating.
B) risk for injury related to hyperactivity.
C) disturbed sleep pattern related to agitation.
D) ineffective coping related to denial of depression