An adult with the diagnosis of schizophrenia is admitted to the psychiatric hospital. the client is ungroomed, appears to be hearing voices, is withdrawn, and has not spoken to anyone for several days. what should the nurse do during the first few hospital days

If an adult with the diagnosis of schizophrenia is admitted to the psychiatric hospital during the first few hospital days the nurse should seek out the client frequently in order to spend short periods of time together. Seeking out the client frequently to spend short periods of time together will help the nurse establish trust without increasing the person's anxiety. Seeing that the client bathes and changes clothes daily is not a priority unless the client is super and extremely dirty; this client is ungroomed, not dirty. A withdrawn client will usually not approach anyone and the client's history reveals a failure to speak.