Upon admission to the unit, it was determined that,
at the present time, MR would not be able to participate
in identifying and prioritizing his needs. This is a common difficulty for nurses when caring for patients
with mental illnesses. Ongoing assessment of his
ability to participate would be necessary to foster his
later involvement.
Nursing diagnoses of Self-Care Deficit: Bathing,
Dressing and Feeding (NANDA-I, 2009) were considered
because MR rarely bathed and was malodorous,
disheveled and unkempt, and had minimal appetite.
Although these nursing diagnoses were considered
important, the immediate concern for MR was his
safety. Nursing diagnoses of Risk for Self-Directed
Violence (NANDA-I, 2009) and Disturbed Sensory
Perception (NANDA-I, 2009) were considered to
address MR’s safety. The nursing diagnosis of Risk for
Self-directed Violence was eliminated because MR’s
risk stems from the “voices” telling him to hurt
himself. Therefore, the primary nursing diagnosis was
determined to be Disturbed Sensory Perception.