A nurse is caring for an adolescent hospitalized for cellulitis.The nurse notes that the adolescent experiences many "mood swings" throughout the day.The nurse interprets this behavior as:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Adolescents vacillate in their emotional states between considerable maturity and child-like behavior.One minute they are exuberant and enthusiastic; the next minute they are depressed and withdrawn.Because of these mood swings,adolescents are frequently labeled as unstable,inconsistent,and unpredictable,but the behavior is normal.The behavior would not require a referral to a mental health counselor or further laboratory testing.The mood swings do not indicate depression.

A Nurse Is Caring for an Adolescent Hospitalized for Cellulitis