The physician orders haloperidol 5 mg IM stat for a client and tells the nurse that the dose can be repeated in 12 hours if needed. The most likely rationale for this order is:

If the client could think logically, he would not be paranoid. In fact, he is probably suspicious of the staff, too. Newly admitted clients frequently experience high levels of anxiety, which can contribute to delusions. The goal of pharmacological intervention is to calm the client and assist with reality-based thinking, not to sedate him. Haloperidol is a neuroleptic and antipsychotic drug, not a minor tranquilizer. Haloperidol is a high-potency neuroleptic and first-line choice for rapid neuroleptization, with low potential for sedation.