Question

Carrie Williams has been admitted to the Psychiatric Unit at Bayshores Treatment Facility. She is eight-and-one-half months pregnant and in a manic state. She has not slept for three days, is hyperactive and hypervoluble. When you come on duty, she is running all over the Day Room, jumping from chairs and standing on tables saying to everyone: "I am Cicely Tyson and I will perform for you. My agent wants you to listen to me and come to see my movies. I'm going to Hollywood and if you treat me right I will take you along." Along with several other nurses, you decide the patient must be placed in seclusion for her protection and the safety of the fetus. Also, she is disrupting the Unit and upsetting the other patients. Tension in the Day Room is very high as Mrs. Williams climbs over the back of a sofa and almost falls over a table. After being placed in seclusion, the patient rolls on the floor and bounces herself off the walls with her protruding stomach. The psychiatrist is notified and orders that liquid Haldol (an appropriate dosage for the patient) be injected into the patient's sealed juice containers and that she be encouraged to drink the juice. As the nurse working with this patient you would:

question

1. Inject the Haldol into the patient's juice and encourage her to drink it

Answer 1

The patient is at high risk of injuring self (herself and fetus) and others by her violent behavior due to the mental health condition.It is a must to protect the patient and others on the grounds of principle of beneficence and non maleficience by trying to give the medicine mixed in the juice and soothe her to drink. A trustworthy therapeutic relationship has to be established in order to make the patient comfortable and drink the juice.