13. A client on a medical-surgical unit is recovering from a suicide attempt and is now stable and anticipating discharge to an outpatient program. Which staff nurse is most appropriate to assign to this client?
13. A client on a medical-surgical unit is recovering from a suicide attempt and is now stable and anticipating discharge to an outpatient program. Which staff nurse is most appropriate to assign to this client?
. The LPN/LVN with 5 years' experience, supervised by an experienced nurse.
. The nurse who is assigned to a client who is high acuity.
. The RN with 3 years' experience who is assigned to admit and discharge clients.
. The RN who is a preceptor to the new graduate nurse who has 3 weeks of experience.
Test-Taking Tip
Remember that the LPN/LVN can care for a client who is stable with predictable outcomes.
Content Area: Mental Health, Management of Care; Integrated Process: Nursing Process, Analysis; Cognitive Level: Analysis; Client Need/Subneed: Safe and Effective Care Environment/Management of Care/Delegation
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Answer 1 is correct because this client is stable. Answer 2 is incorrect because this nurse will need to care for a client who requires the nurse's time and attention. Answer 3 is incorrect because the nurse will be focused on specific tasks related to admissions and discharges. Answer 4 is incorrect because the new graduate nurse is inexperienced (e.g., new to the medical-surgical unit) with medical-surgical clients who have complex diagnoses (e.g., the client recovering from a suicide is in need of psychosocial interventions with which the nurse may not be familiar).