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    Case Study - Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders

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    Camille Sinday
    Penny, a 61-year-old woman, was admitted to inpatient treatment for anxiety attacks. She has several stressors including caring for her brother who has dementia and working two jobs. Her anxiety has worsened, making it difficult to leave home. Upon admission, the nurse finds Penny crying and pacing, saying she doesn't know what to do. Penny is experiencing severe anxiety related to her situational crises. The nurse should implement interventions to ensure Penny's safety and help reduce her anxiety through relaxation techniques and as-needed medication.

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    Case Study - Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders

    Uploaded by

    Camille Sinday
    195 views2 pages
    Penny, a 61-year-old woman, was admitted to inpatient treatment for anxiety attacks. She has several stressors including caring for her brother who has dementia and working two jobs. Her anxiety has worsened, making it difficult to leave home. Upon admission, the nurse finds Penny crying and pacing, saying she doesn't know what to do. Penny is experiencing severe anxiety related to her situational crises. The nurse should implement interventions to ensure Penny's safety and help reduce her anxiety through relaxation techniques and as-needed medication.

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    2. Case Study - Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders

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    Penny, a 61-year-old woman, was admitted to inpatient treatment for anxiety attacks. She has several stressors including caring for her brother who has dementia and working two jobs. Her anxiety has worsened, making it difficult to leave home. Upon admission, the nurse finds Penny crying and pacing, saying she doesn't know what to do. Penny is experiencing severe anxiety related to her situational crises. The nurse should implement interventions to ensure Penny's safety and help reduce her anxiety through relaxation techniques and as-needed medication.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    195 views2 pages

    Case Study - Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders

    Uploaded by

    Camille Sinday
    Penny, a 61-year-old woman, was admitted to inpatient treatment for anxiety attacks. She has several stressors including caring for her brother who has dementia and working two jobs. Her anxiety has worsened, making it difficult to leave home. Upon admission, the nurse finds Penny crying and pacing, saying she doesn't know what to do. Penny is experiencing severe anxiety related to her situational crises. The nurse should implement interventions to ensure Penny's safety and help reduce her anxiety through relaxation techniques and as-needed medication.

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    October 11, 2017

    Case Study, Chapter 14, Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders


    1. Penny, age 61 years, was admitted to the behavioral health center for short-term inpatient
    treatment following medical evaluation for chest pain, shortness of breath, and
    experiencing a racing heart rate after a myocardial infarction (MI) workup with a negative
    stress test ruled out an MI. She was prescribed Wellbutrin and Xanax by her PCP for anxiety
    attacks and discharged with a prescription to an outpatient therapist to help her cope with her
    anxiety. It has been identified that Penny has several stressors currently: she is working two
    full-time jobs to help cover the costs of her older brother’s long-term facility care to manage
    his worsening dementia. Before the admission, Penny had been attempting to care for her
    brother at home, but found that he required more care and supervision than she was able to
    provide. She feels tremendous guilt that she had to place her brother in a facility.
    Additionally, her brother has not managed the transition from home to the long-term care
    facility well, and there have been several incidents of behavioral problems, which have
    resulted in the administrator of the long-term care facility notifying Penny that they may not
    be able to continue to provide care for her brother.
    Penny began having difficulty focusing at work and was spoken to by her supervisor
    about her forgetfulness. She became restless and irritable and described periods of
    apprehension and helplessness to her therapist. Her anxiety attacks have worsened over the
    past 2 weeks, and she now has difficulty leaving her house. When Penny does leave the
    house, she often experiences an attack where she feels unsafe, has difficulty prioritizing and
    making decisions, and feels like running home, where she is “safe.” It was decided to readmit
    Penny for stabilization of her current symptoms.
    Upon entering Penny’s room to complete the admission paperwork, the nurse finds
    Penny crying, pacing back and forth, and wringing her hands. She repeats over and over,
    “I just don’t know what to do. I need to get out of here.”
    a. What nursing diagnosis would the nurse apply to this patient with the above history and
    behavior?
    Ans. Severe anxiety, a vague feeling of dread or apprehension, related to situational crises as
    evidenced by crying, irritability, pacing back and forth and wringing of her hands.

    This study source was downloaded by 100000799484947 from CourseHero.com on 02-04-2022 04:17:44 GMT -06:00

    https://www.coursehero.com/file/26547382/Anxiety-Case-Study-docx/
    October 11, 2017

    b. Which level of anxiety is Penny currently experiencing?


    Ans. Anxiety is a vague feeling of dread or apprehension; it is a response to external or internal
    stimuli that can have behavioral, emotional, cognitive, and physical symptoms. Penny is
    experiencing severe anxiety. Severe anxiety is the disturbing feeling that something is definitely
    wrong; the person becomes nervous or agitated. A person with severe anxiety has trouble
    thinking and reasoning. Muscles tighten and vital signs increase. The person paces; is restless,
    irritable and angry; or uses other emotional-psychomotor means to release tension. It is evident
    in the case study that Penny has trouble thinking and reasoning as she has difficulty prioritizing
    and making decisions. Her pacing and wringing of the hands clearly indicate that she is restless,
    irritable and angry. She is not able to solve her situation and is crying as “she does not know
    what to do.” Her vital signs are most likely to be increased and her muscles are tightening due to
    the severity of apprehension.
    c. What nursing interventions should be immediately implemented by the nurse?
    Ans: The following are nursing interventions that can be implemented by the Nurse to help
    Penny:
     Remain with the client at all times as the client’s safety is a priority.
     Move the client to a quiet area with minimal or decreased stimuli as anxious behavior can be
    escalated by external stimuli. A smaller area can enhance the sense of security.
     Remain calm in the approach with the client so the client can feel more secure
     Use short, simple, and clear statements as the client’s ability to deal with abstractions or
    complexity is impaired
     Encourage the client’s participation in relaxation exercises such as deep breathing,
    progressive muscle relaxation, meditation as relaxation exercises are effective, non-
    pharmacological ways to reduce anxiety.
     Help the client see that mild anxiety can be a positive catalyst for change and does not need
    to be avoided
     PRN medication ordered by the physician may be indicated for high level of anxiety as
    medication may be necessary to decrease the anxiety to a level at which the client can feel
    safe. Check doctors’ orders for PRN medications.

    This study source was downloaded by 100000799484947 from CourseHero.com on 02-04-2022 04:17:44 GMT -06:00

    https://www.coursehero.com/file/26547382/Anxiety-Case-Study-docx/
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