11.1 Introduction
Learning Objectives
- Identify assessment cues of thought behaviors
- Identify nursing priorities for clients with thought disorders
- Plan outcomes for clients with thought disorders
- Differentiate safety/protective interventions for clients with thought disorders
- Apply evidence-based practice when planning care and interventions for clients with thought disorders
- Analyze treatments for clients with thought disorders
- Apply the nursing process to clients with thought disorders at risk for suicide
- Compare and contrast delirium, psychosis, and schizophrenia
Have you ever cared for a client who was confused, disoriented, had a change in mental status, or was experiencing delirium? These are considered “altered thought processes.” There are several potential medical causes of delirium, such as a urinary tract infection in an elderly client, hypo or hyperglycemia, drug or alcohol intoxication. There are also mental health disorders that can cause altered thought processes, such as schizophrenia. This chapter will discuss psychosis, delirium, and schizophrenia and explain how to care for clients experiencing hallucinations, delusions, and other symptoms of altered thought processes.
