Confused!

Nursing Students NCLEX

Published

When dealing with a person who had OCD and is doing his/her rituals, do you interupt them? or let them continue? In clinicals, they taught us to kinda distract them or limit them. But on some of the questions I'm practicing tell me to let them continue! What's the right way? Can someone help me out here? thank you

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am no completely sure and am going to check back to see what others say, but I thought that if they were inthe beginning of therapy you let them continue to decrease thier anxiety. But if later on in the therapy you would limit it. mmmmm will be interesting to see what others say.

AmyD

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Family.

I just finished my psych class and we were told to let them continue. The reason you do this is because it would cause that person a GREAT deal of stress if they weren't allowed to finish. They would be a whole lot less likely to be compliant with treatment. For long term treatment, it was advised to us that you let the pt know in advance that we are only going to wash our hands 4 times tomorrow instead of five, etc. It's a very gradual thing. HTH!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER.

We were taught to let them continue, and to plan time into their schedule to allow them to complete their rituals (unless someone is causing themselves physical harm, of course).

Don't know what actually psych nurses do in the real world, though.

Every NCLEX practice question I have ever had is always along those lines, also. So, when I take NCLEX, I'm stickin' with that.:)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg.

Yep let them keep doing what they are doing. I know this one for fact because I just got it wrong on my test. Question was something like this...a person with OCD is counting ceiling tiles what would you do? I picked get them to play cards...figuring it would distract them...nopers...my prof. said then they are just going to count the cards...let them finish what they are doing...

Psych was hard....I sure am glad its over with. I can't for the world figure out where some of them test questions come from. I really think they make us take psych for nurses so they can evaluate us....*wink*....good luck everyone.....

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med Surg/Tele/ER.

Yes let them finish...or they will just start over. Anxiety/stress relief thing. Then you gradually start decreasing the time they have to do their rituals.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thanks everyone for your help!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment