A nurse in a mental health clinic is assessing a client who has borderline personality disorder. Which of the following findings should the nurse expect?

Choice A reason: Inability to maintain employment can occur in BPD due to impulsivity, but it’s not a defining feature. Other disorders like depression also cause this, lacking specificity. BPD’s core is relational instability, not job issues, so this isn’t the expected finding. Choice B reason: Avoidance of relationships fits schizoid or avoidant personality, not BPD, where clients crave connection despite turmoil. BPD involves intense, unstable bonds, not withdrawal. This contradicts the disorder’s hallmark, making it an incorrect expectation. Choice C reason: Reluctance to discard objects defines hoarding disorder, not BPD, which focuses on emotional and relational chaos, not possessions. There’s no link to this behavior in BPD criteria. This finding misaligns with the condition, so it’s not expected. Choice D reason: Intense efforts to avoid abandonment—real or perceived—are a BPD diagnostic criterion, driving clinginess or rage. It reflects fear of loss, central to the disorder’s instability. This is a classic, expected finding, making it the correct choice.