An adult female inpatient client with a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia will not take her medications from the nurse.She states,"I know you are poisoning that medicine." Which nursing action is most appropriate?

Question

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Administering medications in unit dose packages would help to prevent the client from thinking that the nurse is poisoning the medications.The client would be allowed to open the packages herself.Promising the client that the staff would not harm her will not alleviate her paranoia.Letting the client watch the medication preparation process may help,but if she feels that the poisoning is happening when the nurse is placing the medication in the cup,the client will remain paranoid.Allowing the client to retrieve medications from the medication cart would go against facility policy.

An Adult Female Inpatient Client with a Diagnosis of Paranoid