Which of the following activities would be considered nursing care and appropriate to be performed by a basic level nurse for a patient suffering from mental illness?

Choice A rationale Prescribing antidepressant medication is an advanced practice function, legally restricted to Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs), specifically Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioners (PMH-NPs), or physicians. This activity involves complex diagnostic reasoning and prescriptive authority that lies outside the scope of practice for a basic level registered nurse (RN), who focuses instead on medication administration and monitoring. Choice B rationale Teaching coping skills for specific life stressors or family dynamics is a core, appropriate function for a basic level registered nurse. It involves utilizing health teaching and health promotion principles to enhance the patient's adaptive abilities and stress management, a fundamental intervention within the general scope of psychiatric-mental health nursing practice. Choice C rationale Conducting psychotherapy, which involves the systematic application of a theoretical framework to treat mental disorders, is generally an independent function of a specialist, such as an APRN (PMH-NP) or other licensed mental health professionals. The basic level nurse's role is typically focused on therapeutic communication and counseling, not formalized, specialized psychotherapy. Choice D rationale The treatment of major depressive disorder encompasses a wide range of specialized interventions, including prescribing, advanced psychotherapeutic modalities, and complex case management. This comprehensive treatment function is ultimately the responsibility of the multidisciplinary team, with the APRN or psychiatrist primarily leading the medical and advanced therapy aspects, exceeding the basic RN's independent scope.