Learning System RN-Communication

A nurse is caring for a client following a fetal demise. The client is crying and says, "I tried to get pregnant for so long. My partner and I wanted this baby so much. Now what will we do?" Which of the following responses should the nurse make?

"Are you feeling overwhelmed?" *The nurse is using the techniques of clarification to gain a better understanding of the client's thoughts and is expressing understanding with this therapeutic response.

A nurse is caring for a client who has leukemia. The client says, "The doctor told me that my condition is too sever to be treated successfully. I guess I don't have long to live." Which of the following responses should the nurse make?

"Let's talk about how you are feeling about this information." *This is a therapeutic response because the nurse is using the exploring technique. This technique allows the client the opportunity to express his feelings regarding the prognosis.

A nurse is caring for a client who is a sexual assault survivor. The client says, "I feel so humiliated. I don't want anyone to know what happened to me." Which of the following responses should the nurse make?

"Are you saying that you are fearful about what others will think?" *The nurse is using the therapeutic response of clarification. This response helps the client to clarify her own thoughts.

A nurse is caring for client who has major depressive disorder. The client tells the nurse, "Don't bother me. Find someone else to talk with. I don't have anything worth saying. Go find someone you can help." Which of the following statements should the nurse make?

"I would like to sit quietly with you for a while." *This is a therapeutic response because the nurse is offering self. This response lets the client know that the nurse has the desire to understand.

A nurse is caring for a client who had a spontaneous miscarriage at 9 weeks of gestation. The nurse walks into the client's room and finds her crying uncontrollably. Which of the following statements should the nurse make?

"It is hard to deal with the loss of a pregnancy. Here is the number of a local support group that you can attend." *This is a therapeutic response because the nurse is offering empathy and providing information regarding a support network that the client can access.

A nurse is caring for an older adult client who dies during the night while his partner is at his side. The partner says, "I can't believe he's gone." Which of the following responses should the nurse make?

"It must be hard to accept that this has happened." *This is a therapeutic response because the nurse is restating what the client has said, which allows the partner to hear what the nurse has received from her communication.

A nurse is caring for a client who has Type 1 diabetes mellitus and is to receive hemodialysis. The client says, "I don't even know why I'm doing this. There is no cure." Which of the following statements should the nurse make?

"It sounds as though you have given up." *The nurse is using the therapeutic communication technique of restatement to encourage the expression of feelings.

A nurse is caring for a 13-year-old female client who is admitted for an emergency appendectomy. While the nurse is providing the preoperative teaching, the client asks, "Will I have a large scar from the surgery?" Which of the following responses should the nurse make?

"It will by small enough that it won't show when you're wearing a bathing suit." *This is a therapeutic response because the nurse is providing information specific to the client's concern. The nurse recognizes that body-image is an important issue for adolescents. This response allays fears that the client might be having.

An emergency department nurse takes a telephone call from a client who states, "I have just taken 100 amitriptyline tablets to kill myself." The client is crying and says, "I want to die. I have no reason to live." Which of the following responses should the nurse make?

"Please stay on the phone with me so we can talk about your feelings." *This is a therapeutic response because the nurse has given the client opportunity to share his feelings. The nurse is also encouraging the client to stay on the phone so that emergency personnel can get to the client's home.

A nurse is caring for a client who has been recently diagnosed with cancer. The client says, "I would rather be dead than go through the treatment for cancer." Which of the following responses should the nurse make?

"What is it that concerns you about the cancer treatment?" *This is a therapeutic response because the nurse is asking a broad question that allows the client to explore thoughts and feelings.

A nurse is teaching a client how to perform personal ileostomy care prior to discharge. The client says, "I don't think that I am going to be able to take care of this myself." Which of the following responses should the nurse make?

"What part of the ileostomy care are you having trouble with?" *This is a therapeutic response because the nurse is demonstrating acceptance of the client's feelings and is seeking clarification of the client's concerns.

The adult child of a client has come to take his parent home from the facility following a colon resection. The client's son tells the nurse, "I don't know how I am going to take care of my mom now." Which of the following responses should the nurse make?

"What part of your mother's care are you concerned about?" *This is a therapeutic response because the nurse is using clarification to address the son's immediate concerns about caring for his parent.

A nurse is caring for an older adult client who is to undergo surgery for a hip fracture. The client says, "I guess I've lived long enough, and it's my time." Which of the following responses should the nurse make?

"You feel that your life is ending?" *This is a therapeutic response because the nurse is using restatement to promote communication. This response addresses the client's immediate concern about not living any longer.

A nurse is caring for an adolescent client who has a positive human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) test. She tells the nurse, "I don't think I can tell my parents that I am pregnant." Which of the following responses should the nurse make?

"You seem frightened to tell your parents." *This is a therapeutic response because it provides the client with an opportunity to express any concerns or fears.

A nurse is caring for a client who has recently found out that she is pregnant. The client says, "I don't think I should tell my partner about the pregnancy." Which of the following responses should the nurse make?

"You seem uncertain about telling your partner." *This is a therapeutic response because the nurse is reflecting on the client's statement.

A nurse is caring for an adolescent client who was recently diagnosed with testicular cancer. When the nurse asks the client a question, he angrily spits in the nurse's face. Which of the following responses should the nurse make?

"You seen to be very upset." *This is a therapeutic response because it allows the client to explore his feelings and can de-escalate the situation.

An assistive personnel is bathing a client who is unconscious and is talking to him about current events and the weather. The client's partner says to the nurse, "Why does the assistive personnel talk to my husband? He's unconscious." Which of the following responses should the nurse make?

"Your husband is unconscious but might still be able to hear." *The client who is unconscious might still be able to hear even if unable to respond. A client who is unconscious also requires an appropriate level of stimulation.

A nurse is caring for a client who has suspected brain tumor and is scheduled for a computerized axial tomography scan (CAT). When the procedure is explained, the client expresses fear about entering the enclosed space of the scanner. Which of the following statements should the nurse make?

"Let me review some breathing exercises with you." *It is not uncommon for a client who has claustrophobia to be fearful of entering the enclosed space of the CT scanner. To help minimize anxiety, the nurse should encourage the use of relaxation techniques, such as breathing exercises, prior to the procedure.

A nurse is making morning rounds when a client says, "I almost died last night." Which of the following responses should the nurse make?

"That must have been frightening. Tell me more about it." *This therapeutic response directly addresses the client's concern. The nurse uses the communication tool of empathy in responding to this client's concerns and clarifies the client's feelings.

A client is scheduled for a lumber puncture to rule out bacterial meningitis. She tells the nurse that she is fearful of becoming paralyzed from the needle being placed into her spinal column. Which of the following responses should the nurse make?

"The needle is inserted below the third lumbar vertebrae, well below the point at which the spinal cord ends." *This is a therapeutic response that provides information that specifically addresses the client's concerns and helps to decrease anxiety and fears.