Nursing care of personality disorders in the medical surgery setting

When patients with personality disorders are treated for medical conditions in an acute care setting, nurses are frequently unaware of the diagnosis. Yet the behavior patterns can create problems for both patient and nursing staff. This article will (1) present an overview of personality disorders; (2) examine personality characteristics of patients with borderline and antisocial personality disorders and the difficulties that arise from splitting, impulsiveness, suicide attempts, manipulation, and aggression; and (3) discuss intervention strategies the nurse who encounters a patient exhibiting a personality disorder can use.