Sam is a 45-year-old caucasian female who was brought to the ER by her brother. Her brother reported that Sam was acting strange over the past couple of weeks; in particular, he noticed poor hygiene, bizarre behaviors, and interrupted sleep patterns. He also believes she has auditory and visual hallucinations. Recently, Sam’s live-in boyfriend of 7 years was detained by ICE and he now faces potential deportation, which contributes to her overall mental health. In line with these events, Sam communicates with the learner that she believes she is being slowly poisoned by her neighbors who also got rid of her boyfriend.

Authored by: Cheryl Warner, Darrin Carr, Eric Afuseh, and Janet Payne

Learning Objectives

– Explain the purpose of the encounter to the patient
– Gather information from family and inquire further about mental history
– Determine need to call NP for meds
– Build rapport and encourage the patient to engage
– Validate patient’s “fears of being harmed because she is different” with anxiety as shown by their vital signs