A Patient on a Medical Unit Has a History of Hostile

question 3

Multiple Choice

A patient on a medical unit has a history of hostile and menacing behavior toward staff and sometimes even strikes them.Which plan would be best for forestalling such incidents?

• A) Give the patient lorazepam (Ativan)every 4 hours to reduce anxiety.
• B) Explain that the response to any violence will be to use restraints.
• C) Arrange for security personnel to stand by during all nursing care.
• D) Point out the problem and help the patient identify things that are causing frustration.

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Definitions:

Punishment

The application of an aversive stimulus following some behaviour designed to decrease the probability of that behaviour.

Modelling

The process of creating representations of complex systems or behaviors to simplify analysis and understanding.

Negative Reinforcement

Negative reinforcement is a behavioral principle where the removal of an unfavorable condition strengthens or increases the likelihood of a desired behavior.

Behaviour

Refers to the actions or reactions of an object or organism, usually in relation to their environment.