Introduction
Scenario setup A client with depression tells you, “I have a plan to end it tonight.” The client is calm, cooperative, and has pills at home. You are on an inpatient unit. This is active suicidal ideation with plan—an immediate safety emergency. PN priorities: do not leave the client alone, notify RN/provider, remove/secure means per policy, and follow 1:1 observation orders. PN traps: promising confidentiality over safety, leaving to get coffee, minimizing statements as “attention-seeking.” 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 NCLEX-PN (United States), 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...