A nurse is caring for a client 3 days after admission for treatment of depression. The client leaves her current activity, approaches the nurse and states, "There's no reason to go on living. I just want to end it all." Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

A. Ask the client if she has a plan to commit suicide: Assessing for a specific plan is the highestpriority safety intervention because it determines the immediacy and lethality of the suicide risk. Exploring intent, method, and access to means is essential to initiate appropriate safety precautions and prevent selfharm. B. Notify the client's family and request a visitor to stay with the client until thoughts of suicide are gone: Family involvement cannot replace proper clinical suicide assessment or safety interventions. Relying on visitors for supervision is unsafe and inappropriate in an inpatient mental health setting. C. Recognize the attempt at manipulation and escort the client back to her activity: Labeling the client’s statement as manipulation disregards a potentially lifethreatening situation. Clients expressing suicidal thoughts require immediate assessment and support, not redirection. D. Assist the client to her room and allow her to rest before resuming activity: Allowing the client to rest without assessing suicide risk delays critical evaluation. Rest does not address the expression of suicidal intent and can increase the risk if the client is left unsupervised.