Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) Practice Test

What teaching strategy benefits patients with borderline personality disorder who act impulsively?

1. Encouraging faster decision-making

2. Promoting a slowdown of automatic responses

3. Instilling strict behavioral rules

4. Reinforcing impulsive choices

The correct answer is: Promoting a slowdown of automatic responses

The choice that promotes a slowdown of automatic responses is beneficial for patients with borderline personality disorder who exhibit impulsive behaviors. This strategy is grounded in the understanding that individuals with this disorder often experience overwhelming emotions that can lead to hasty, unconsidered decisions. By encouraging patients to take a moment to pause and reflect on their thoughts and feelings before acting, they can develop greater self-awareness and improve their ability to manage impulses. This approach can involve techniques such as mindfulness and cognitive-behavioral strategies, which help patients identify triggers for their impulsivity and consider the consequences of their actions. Slowing down the decision-making process allows individuals to weigh the potential outcomes and choose more adaptive responses, reducing the likelihood of negative self-destructive behaviors associated with impulsivity. While encouraging faster decision-making may seem appealing in some contexts, it can exacerbate impulsive tendencies rather than mitigate them. Similarly, instilling strict behavioral rules might not account for the personal and emotional complexity faced by these patients, potentially leading to feelings of rebellion or failure when they struggle to adhere to rigid guidelines. Reinforcing impulsive choices would only validate the maladaptive behavior and reinforce the cycle of impulsivity.