Mental Health - assigned a pt who is a stalker, HELP

[man23SN]

Hey folks, well I am more than halfway done with the first semester of my senior year, and halfway done with my mental health clinicals. Unfortunately, my first patient got discharged so I got assigned a new patient today. My main concern is this: I am a male student nurse, and my patient is a woman who was committed because she fell in love with a handyman who was doing plumbing in her house. Keep in mind the man has a wife and children. Anyways, she became obsessed that they were in love and has been found on occasion stalking the man, and his wife. She has also had thoughts of killing his family because they are getting in the way of their "relationship". She still has delusions and when I was talking with her today, she said "she just misses him so much".

Should I be worried? I have a wife of my own and I don't want these same things to happen to me once the patient is discharged. She is 37, and I'm only 23 so I would think maybe that would lessen the chances of it happening, but I wouldn't put anything past this individual. My instructor thinks there is nothing to worry about, she just seems to laugh at the whole situation because her past history does sound comical if you were to read it on paper. However, it makes me feel more than uncomfortable.

Am I blowing this way out of proportion?

[Natingale, EdD, RN]

Yeah I think you have nothing to worry about, since its just the plumber. She didnt stalk every male she came in contact with, and my question is ..lets say in make believe world, she would stalk you ..HOW? shes admitted to the hospital, after you leave you dont exist anymore.