Case Study
A fifteen year old African-American male enters a new high school and during registration the student and parent is referred to the school nurse. The student’s mom reports that her son has a history of Bipolar disorder and substance abuse. He has been expelled from two schools this year because of his behavior. During the interview, you (the nurse) notice the student paces up and down the floor and has trouble staying in one place. Mom has to redirect him to his seat many times during the initial interview. Mom has started a new job recently and states “I place his medications by his bed in the morning before I leave for work; so, that he will not forget to take them.” Mom has noticed that since she has started this new job her son has been acting out more.
During this initial assessment of the student:
1. What information is necessary for the nurse to obtain to prepare an individualized health plan for this student?
2. Make a list of five open-ended questions the nurse will include in this interview.
3. What behaviors in this case study should concern the nurse?
