In January, a nurse is listening to colleagues talk about the increase in depressed patients asking for help from their physicians recently. The incidence of complaints of depression was higher in the last month than in the previous 3 months. Based on this data, which of the following would be the next step for the nurse to take?A. No further action is necessary because depression is known to worsen during the shorter darker days of winter.B. No further action is necessary because this short-term increase may just be a statistical error or even just a mistaken impression by the involved nurses.C. Action should be taken because there must be some cause for this noted increase.D. Action should be taken because this increase may the beginning of an epidemic and should be investigated.
The correct answer is C
C. Action should be taken because there must be some cause for this noted increase.
The nurse should take action because there must be a cause for the increase in depressed patients seeking help. While option A suggests that no action is necessary because depression worsens during winter, it does not address the fact that the incidence of complaints has increased compared to the previous months. Option B suggests that the increase may just be a statistical error or a mistaken impression, but given that multiple colleagues have noticed it, it would be prudent to investigate further. Option D suggests that the increase may be the beginning of an epidemic and should be investigated, which is an extreme conclusion without further evidence. Therefore, option C, which states that action should be taken because there must be some cause for the noted increase, is the most appropriate next step for the nurse.
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