A nurse is caring for a client in an inpatient mental health setting. The nurse notices that when the client is conversing with other clients, the client repeats what they are saying word for word. The nurse interprets this finding and documents it using which term?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The nurse should document the client's speech pattern as echolalia, or parrot-like and inappropriate repetition of another's words. Echopraxia refers to an involuntary imitation of another person's movements or gestures. Neologisms are made-up words that have no common meaning and are not recognized. Tangentiality is a disorganized thinking pattern in which the topic of conversation changes to an entirely different topic; the change is a logical progression but causes a permanent detour from the original focus.

A Nurse Is Caring for a Client in an Inpatient