If during an interview your patient stated: 'I feel like dying.' What should be your primary response?

If during an interview your patient stated: 'I feel like dying.' What should be your primary response?

• A. Reassure the patient that they will feel better tomorrow.
• B. Call the physician for a 1:1 order.
• C. Immediately go to the nursing station and notify your supervisor.
• D. Ask the patient if they have a suicide plan.

Answer: (D)

When a patient says they feel like dying, the first priority is to assess suicide risk by asking directly about a plan. This direct inquiry gives you crucial information about intent and ability to act, which guides immediate safety decisions. If the patient has a specific plan and access to means, risk is high and you’ll escalate right away with safety measures such as 1:1 observation and notifying the physician for orders. If there isn’t a concrete plan, you still address safety and provide support, but the direct question about a plan is what determines how urgently you need to intervene further. Reassurance alone can miss current danger, so it’s not sufficient as the primary response.

When a patient says they feel like dying, the first priority is to assess suicide risk by asking directly about a plan. This direct inquiry gives you crucial information about intent and ability to act, which guides immediate safety decisions. If the patient has a specific plan and access to means, risk is high and you’ll escalate right away with safety measures such as 1:1 observation and notifying the physician for orders. If there isn’t a concrete plan, you still address safety and provide support, but the direct question about a plan is what determines how urgently you need to intervene further. Reassurance alone can miss current danger, so it’s not sufficient as the primary response.