NULD 6203AA: Clinical Role Development II: Nursing Care of Persons with
Psychiatric Illnesses
Clinical Case Study: Schizophrenia. You are working on an
... [Show More] inpatent psychiatric unit and need to do an inital
assessment of R.B., who has just been admited. He has a diagnosis of
schizophrenia, paranoid type. He is 22 years old and has been atending the local
university and living at home with his parents. He has always been a good student
and has been actve socially.
Last semester his grades began declining and he became very withdrawn. He
spends most of his tme alone in his room. His grooming has deteriorated; he can
go days without bathing. For several weeks before admission, he insisted on
keeping all of the blinds and curtains in the house closed. He refuses to join family
gatherings and games.
For the past 2 days he has refused to eat, saying, "They have contaminated the
food." As you approach R.B., you note that he appears to be carrying on a
conversaton with someone, but there is no one there. When you talk to him, he
looks around and answers in a whisper but gives you litle informaton. He states,
"They are watching me and told me not to cooperate."
1. Explain what a negatve symptom of schizophrenia is, and identfy at least three
negatve symptoms of schizophrenia that R.B. might be experiencing.
The negatve symptoms of schizophrenia make the patent more physical and
cognitvely disabled. They are the absence of something that should be present,
such as a blunted affect, inability of enjoy actvites, social discomfort and loss of
motvaton. R.B. is experiencing negatve symptoms such as poor hygiene, social
isolaton, withdrawal from interpersonal relatonships, and decline in grades.
2. Explain what a positve symptom of schizophrenia is, and identfy at least two
positve symptoms of schizophrenia that R.B. might be experiencing.
The positve symptoms of schizophrenia are the presence of something that
should not be present. This would include hallucinatons, delusions, paranoia, [Show Less]