An adolescent hospitalized after a violent physical outburst tells the nurse, "I'm going to kill my father, but you can't tell anyone." Select the nurse's best response.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Breach of nurse-patient confidentiality does not pose a legal dilemma for the nurse in this circumstance because a team approach to the delivery of psychiatric care presumes communication of patient information to other staff members to develop treatment plans and outcome criteria. The patient should know that the team may have to warn the father of the risk for harm.

An Adolescent Hospitalized After a Violent Physical Outburst Tells the Nurse