A priority nursing diagnosis for this client is ______.

A priority nursing diagnosis for this client is ______.

• A. Hope
• B. Powerlessness
• C. Anxiety
• D. Risk for violence

Answer: (B)

Powerlessness is the central issue for someone experiencing interpersonal violence because the person often feels trapped and unable to control what happens to them. This sense of lost power affects decisions, sense of self-worth, and ability to take safe actions. Labeling powerlessness as the nursing diagnosis foregrounds interventions that restore autonomy: validate the person’s experiences, offer choices, provide information about options, and actively involve them in safety planning and decisions about care. Addressing this internal feeling helps reduce distress and creates a foundation for further safety and coping strategies. Anxiety can accompany the situation, but it’s a symptom rather than the defining issue to target first. While assessing for risk is essential, the prompt’s focus is on the client’s internal experience, and powerlessness best captures what the client needs from nursing care to regain a sense of control. Hope reflects a positive frame, not a problem to diagnose.

Powerlessness is the central issue for someone experiencing interpersonal violence because the person often feels trapped and unable to control what happens to them. This sense of lost power affects decisions, sense of self-worth, and ability to take safe actions. Labeling powerlessness as the nursing diagnosis foregrounds interventions that restore autonomy: validate the person’s experiences, offer choices, provide information about options, and actively involve them in safety planning and decisions about care. Addressing this internal feeling helps reduce distress and creates a foundation for further safety and coping strategies.

Anxiety can accompany the situation, but it’s a symptom rather than the defining issue to target first. While assessing for risk is essential, the prompt’s focus is on the client’s internal experience, and powerlessness best captures what the client needs from nursing care to regain a sense of control. Hope reflects a positive frame, not a problem to diagnose.