Two patients in a residential care facility are diagnosed with dementia. One shouts to the other, "Move along, you're blocking the road." The other patient turns, shakes a fist, and shouts, "I know what you're up to; you're trying to steal my car." What is the nurse's best action?

A) Administer one dose of an antipsychotic medication to both patients.
B) Reinforce reality. Say to the patients, "Walk along in the hall. This is not a traffic intersection."
C) Separate and distract the patients. Take one to the day room and the other to an activities area.
D) Step between the two patients and say, "Please quiet down. We do not allow violence here."

Question

Zybrea Knight · Accepted Answer

Final Answer : C, Explanation :  Separating and distracting prevents escalation from verbal to physical acting out. Neither patient loses self-esteem during this intervention. Medication is probably not necessary. Stepping between two angry, threatening patients is an unsafe action, and trying to reinforce reality during an angry outburst will probably not be successful when the patients are cognitively impaired.

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