Introduction
Scenario setup A client becomes agitated, pacing, and threatens staff. Other clients are nearby. Environmental safety and team communication are priorities. RPN responsibilities: de-escalation within training, call for help, protect others, follow policy. Traps: isolating with the client alone without backup, minimizing threats. This case-study format is intentional: boards reward trajectory thinking—what changed, what is unstable, and what you do next for the role named in the stem. For REx-PN (Canada), read the assignment line before you eliminate answers. Slow read: re-scan the stem for vitals trends, oxygen settings, allergies, and time since onset—case items often hide the decisive clue in a single line. On the exam, writers often pair stable-sounding options with unstable data—notice the mismatch before you commit. If the stem names a license or role, reread that line; scope errors are classic trap answers even when the clinical topic is familiar. Run a 60-second scan: breathing work and oxygenation, perfusion and end organs, neuro baseline, likely infection sources, and devices that can fail quietly. When two answers feel partly right, pick the one that ...