NUR310 Chapter 8: Communication Mastery
A client has cancer, but the significant other does not want the client to know the diagnosis. The nurse demonstrates sensitivity to the significant other and works with the couple to achieve desired outcomes. What kind of behavior is the nurse exhibiting?
Empathy An empathic nurse is sensitive to the client's feelings and problems but remains objective enough to help the client work to attain positive outcomes. Sympathy is the expression of sorrow for someone's situation, involving compassion and kindness. Sympathy shifts the emphasis from the client to the nurse, as the nurse shares feelings and personal concerns and projects them onto the client. Curiosity is a strong desire to know or learn something. Empathy is perceptive awareness of what a client is experiencing. Humility is a modest or low view of one's own importance.
In which situation would the SBAR technique of communication be most appropriate?
A nurse is calling a physician to report a client's new onset of chest pain. The SBAR technique of communication has numerous applications, including nurse-physician communication surrounding acute client developments. The technique is not normally applied in client education or in communication between the health care team and clients' families.
The nurse is beginning an assessment on a nonverbal client. The nurse must first:
establish eye contact prior to assessing, touching, and interacting with the client. Establishing eye contact is the first action with all clients, especially nonverbal clients, prior to touching the client. Nonverbal clients are not necessarily hard of hearing. It is always good to speak to a client in a pleasant tone of voice and not "loudly," as well as to use multiple forms of communication and to verbalize all steps of the nursing assessment when interacting with clients. These actions, however, are not the first actions.
A nurse during orientation notices that the preceptor gives all subcutaneous injections on a 45-degree angle. When the new nurse asks the preceptor the rationale for the practice the preceptors states, "This is how I do it, and this is how you will do it." The new nurse recognizes this behavior to be:
aggressive Aggressive behavior involves asserting one's rights in a negative manner that violates the rights of others. Comments such as "do it my way" or "that's just enough out of you" are examples of aggressive verbal statements. In this scenario, the preceptor is neither nurturing the new nurse nor being passive. Assertive behavior is the ability to stand up for oneself and others using open, honest, and direct communication.
Nurses use social media to share ideas, develop professional connections, access educational offerings and forums, receive support, and investigate evidence-based practices. Which is an example of the proper use of social media by a nurse?
A nurse uses a disclaimer to verify that any views the nurse expresses on Facebook are the nurse's alone and not the employer's. A proper use of social media by a nurse would be the use of a disclaimer to verify that any views expressed on Facebook are the nurse's and do not represent those of the employer. The nurse should not use social media in any way to describe a client by room number, medical diagnosis, or accomplished medical goal of any type. Serious consequences can result from a nurse not using social media correctly.
The client is an 18-month-old in the pediatric intensive care unit. The client is scheduled to have a subgaleal shunt placed tomorrow, and the client's mother is quite nervous about the procedure. The nurse tells the client's mother, "The surgeon has done this a million times. Your son will be fine." This is an example of what type of nontherapeutic communication?
False reassurance False reassurance minimizes the client's concerns and feelings and is providing assurance not based on fact. Rescue feelings occur when a nurse feels a strong urge to personally try to fix the client or family member's problem. The nurse is not giving advice or being moralistic in this scenario.
A nurse is caring for a client who presents with a skin infection. While obtaining the client's medical history, it is determined that the client is an intravenous drug user. To foster effective communication, the nurse should:
remain honest, open, and frank. One key factor to effective communication is to be open, accepting, frank, respectful, and without prejudice. When a client feels that a nurse is being judgmental, the client might withhold significant information. The nurse needs to develop sensitivity to the unique challenges presented by each client. A urine drug screen may eventually be ordered but is not necessary at this time. There is no evidence the client wants drug rehabilitation at this time. There is no evidence that the skin infection is secondary to the drug use.
A nurse is completing a health history with a client being admitted for a mastectomy. During the interview the client states, "I do not know what to do. I am not sure if I really need this surgery." Which response by the nurse demonstrates active listening?
"You seem unsure. Tell me your concerns about your surgery." To understand the client's perspective, the nurse uses therapeutic communication techniques to encourage verbal expression. The use of active listening facilitates therapeutic interactions. "You seem unsure" demonstrates that the nurse was actively listening and has decoded the content and feelings of the client. "Tell me your concerns about your surgery" is an open-ended statement which will allow the client to express themselves. Giving clients the opportunity to be heard helps them organize their thoughts and evaluate their situation more realistically. "I understand you are confused" and "I understand that you are not sure" are examples of rescue feelings on behalf of the nurse. Saying I understand implies the nurse has the knowledge to fix the problem, especially followed by an explorative statement. Asking the client what he or she thinks he or she should do or why the surgery is not needed will put the nurse in the position to judge the response. "Please let me know if you decide to postpone the surgery until you are no longer unsure" suggests that the client should postpone the surgery and is an example of giving advice. The nurse should not give opinions, attempt to sway a client's opinion, or avoid an uncomfortable discussion.
A nurse is caring for a client who is newly diagnosed with terminal cancer. The nurse enters the client's room and finds the client sitting in the dark crying. Which statement conveys empathy by the nurse?
"I know this is hard for you, is there any way I can help?" Empathy is identifying with the way another person feels. An empathic nurse is sensitive to the client's feelings and problems but remains objective enough to help the client work to attain positive outcomes. By retaining this quality, you can establish successful helping relationships without appearing cold or stern. The statement "I am so sorry you are going through this" demonstrates sympathy. Sympathy differs from empathy because it shifts the emphasis from the client to the nurse as the nurse shares feelings and personal concerns and projects them onto the client, limiting the ability to focus objectively on the client's needs. Asking about why the client is crying is part of information gathering but is not empathy. Stating that sitting in the dark will not cure cancer is an abrasive statement that may work against the nurse-client relationship.
A client was recently diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer. The nurse finds the client crying in the room. Which statement made by the nurse best demonstrates the use of empathy?
"I see you are upset. Would you like to talk?" Nurses use empathy, an intuitive awareness of what a client is experiencing, to perceive the client's emotional state and need for support. Acknowledging the client's state, "I see you are upset" and asking the open-ended question, "would you like to talk" best demonstrates the use of empathy and helps the nurse become effective at providing for the client's needs while remaining compassionately detached. Sympathy, such as saying sorry, is not supportive and asking a closed question does not allow the client to express his or her concerns or fears. An offer to call someone is an example of avoidance, and makes the nurse appear uncaring. Telling the client not to worry is an example of giving false reassurance and is nontherapeutic and can give the client false hopes and expectations.
A nurse is obtaining a history from an adult female client. When the nurse asks how many times the client has been pregnant, the client answers, "I have four kids." Which statement, made by the nurse, seeks clarification of the original question?
"I understand you have four kids; how many times have you actually been pregnant?" The use of the clarifying question or comment allows the nurse to gain an understanding of a client's comment. In this scenario, the nurse is asking how many times the client has been pregnant. Gravida refers to the number of pregnancies, whereas para refers to the total number of live births. Confirming the client has four children is a form of validating what the client said. The age and/or term of the children does not clarify the original question asked by the nurse.
The nurse is caring for a client at the end stage of life. The client is crying and states to the nurse, "I just cannot believe I am going to be leaving my children without a parent. I am not ready to go." What response by the nurse demonstrates the expression of empathy to the client?
"It sounds as though you are most concerned about how your children will feel." The nurse is demonstrating empathy when reiterating what the client is saying. This helps the nurse become effective at providing for the client's emotional needs while maintaining detachment. The other responses indicate that the nurse is feeling sympathy for the client, which includes feeling as emotionally distraught as the client. While this may be an unavoidable response, it may not help the client move through the grieving process as effectively.
The nurse is talking with a client who is thinking about obtaining a second opinion regarding the surgeon's recommendation for surgery. Which response by the nurse is considered an advocacy response?
"Let us know if we can answer any further questions after you obtain your second opinion." Offering support and further assistance, as well as information, represents an advocacy response. Stating the surgeon is one of the best or advising to get the surgery done as soon as possible are authoritarian responses. Telling the client that the surgeon has always cared for the client well is using a guilt response.
When the preoperative client tells the nurse that the client cannot sleep because the client keeps thinking about the surgery, an appropriate reflection of the statement by the nurse is:
"The thought of having surgery is keeping you awake." Reflection means repeating or paraphrasing the client's own statement back to the client to verify that the nurse understands what the client is saying. identifying the main emotional themes. Saying that the surgery sounds scary does not accurately reflect this client's statement. The other answers are offering false reassurance, which is not reflection nor therapeutic communication.
A 70-year-old client had a cholecystectomy 4 days ago. The client's daughter tells the nurse, "My mother seems confused today." Which question would be best for the nurse to ask to assess the client's orientation?
"What is your name?" Asking the client to state their name represents an open-ended question and allows the nurse to assess the client's level of consciousness without ambiguity. Asking the client open-ended questions is a better way to assess level of consciousness than asking closed-ended questions, which are answered with a simple yes or no response. The remaining responses are all closed-ended questions and therefore would not provide an accurate assessment of the client's orientation.
The nurse is caring for a client who is a victim of sexual assault. Which action would the nurse take to develop a trusting rapport with the client?
Approach the client with empathy and understanding and allow the client to share feelings without being judged. Rapport is a feeling of mutual trust between nurse and client. Kindness is the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. Active listening and the use of silence are communication techniques, but they do not necessarily develop mutual trust between the nurse and client.
A nurse is planning care for an adult client with severe hearing impairment who uses sign language and lip reading for communication and who has a new diagnosis of cancer. Which nursing action is most appropriate when establishing the plan of care for this client?
Arrange for a sign language interpreter when discussing treatment. During the planning step of the nursing process the nurse develops and prioritizes an individualized plan of care in partnership with the client, family, and others as appropriate. The client with mental or physical limitations should be included in the plan as much as possible. A sign language interpreter allows the client to participate fully in the plan of care. Consulting with the client's children is not as beneficial because it places them in the difficult position of translating while experiencing the emotional strain of the parent's illness. A TTD line can assist in communication but is not as helpful as a medical interpreter. Consulting the oncology nurse specialist is not as helpful in communicating with this client as an interpreter.
A nurse and an older adult client with chronic back pain are beginning to communicate. What activity should the nurse focus on at this point?
Being sensitive to the client's emotional barriers The nurse should try to establish a good rapport with the client and use therapeutic communication. In doing so, the nurse should be sensitive to all needs of the client-including physical and emotional. The degree to which clients are physically comfortable influences their ability to communicate. Once rapport is established, the nurse and client can communicate about pain management options, although perhaps not in great detail, as the client may not be able to tolerate lengthy explanations. The nurse sharing the nurse's own family and personal history of back pain takes the focus off of the client and is not sensitive to the client's needs. Telling the client that back surgery will likely alleviate pain completely is providing false assurance, as this is not necessarily true.
A nurse is preparing to provide discharge instructions to a postpartum client regarding infant care. Before beginning the education session, the nurse should:
Eliminate as many distractions as possible Factors that distort the quality of a message can interfere with communication at any point in the process. These distractors might be from the television, or from pain or discomfort experienced by the client. Visitors may remain in the room as long as the mother agrees and they do not interfere with the education session. It may also be beneficial for others to learn the care in the event that they too will be caregivers for the infant. For this reason, it is best for the client's partner to remain in the room.
Which quality in a nurse helps the nurse to become effective in providing for a client's needs while remaining compassionately detached?
Empathy Empathy refers to intuitive awareness of what the client is experiencing. It helps the nurse perform activities and remain emotionally neutral. Sympathy means feeling as emotionally distraught as the client. If the nurse sympathizes with the client, the nurse may feel equally disturbed, and performance may be affected. Kindness and commiseration also have an emotional component attached to them.
To provide effective nursing care, the nurse should engage in what type of communication with the client and significant others?
Therapeutic communication Therapeutic communication facilitates interactions focused on the client and the client's concerns. Therapeutic communication is purposive, but this is not a discrete category of communication. Intrapersonal communication is communication with oneself, or self-talk. Metacommunication is communication about communication.
When communicating with a client, the nurse uses reflection for which purpose?
To have the client elaborate on thoughts and feelings The reflective question technique involves repeating what the person has said or describing the person's feelings. It encourages clients to elaborate on their thoughts and feelings. Exploring helps clients express their concerns and solve their problems by investigating the situation, exploring how they feel about it, and what some alternatives might be. Focusing helps the client stay on the topic. Sequencing determines events in chronological order.
Carl Rogers (1961) studied the process of therapeutic communication. Through his research, the elements of a "helpful" person were described. They include all of the following except which choice?
analysis Empathy, positive regard, and a comfortable sense of self were among the key ingredients. Empathy is an objective understanding of the way in which a client sees his or her situation, identifying with the way another person feels, putting yourself in another person's circumstances, and imagining what it would be like to share that person's feelings. Communication is crucial because it affects the nurse's behavior and can enhance or detract from positive interactions or regard with the client and family. Comfortable sense of self is part of the nursing confidence in caring for clients. Analysis is part of the nursing process and not the key elements of therapeutic communication.
The nurse is caring for a postoperative client who refuses a blood transfusion due to religious beliefs. The nurse is demonstrating trustworthiness when taking which action in response to the client's treatment wishes?
contacting the interprofessional care team to discuss alternative treatment options Nursing responsibilities in the nurse-client relationship entail advocating on the client's behalf. For a client who does not consent to a particular type of treatment, for which there may be alternative treatments available, the nurse can establish trust in the nurse-client relationship by advocating for the client's care needs to the client's interprofessional care team. Although it is part of the nurse's scope of practice to provide client education regarding treatment interventions, this is not the action the nurse would take to establish trust with the client. Speaking to the client's family about having this discussion potentially breaches client confidentiality and would serve to decrease trust in the nurse-client relationship. It is not within the nurse's scope to recommend that the client have the cognitive capacity assessed. While it is important to ensure the client has the capability to make informed decisions about treatment, the client's refusal for treatment stems from personal beliefs, not cognitive impairment.
The nurse is reporting to an oncoming nurse about the care of a client using the SBAR format. The nurse informs the oncoming nurse that the client should continue to have neurological checks every 2 hours and the nurse should report any alterations to the health care provider. In which section should this information be relayed?
recommendation This information is the recommendation of the nurse regarding the client's condition. It is not discussing background information related to the client, the situation of the client, or any assessment information related to the client.
A nurse is attempting to calm an infant in the nursery. The nurse responds to the highest developed sense by:
swaddling the child and gently stroking its head. Touch is the most highly developed sense at birth. Tactile experiences of infants and young children appear essential for the normal development of self and awareness of others. It has also been found that many older people long for touch, especially when isolated from loved ones because of hospitalization or long-term care facility care. Vision, taste, and hearing are not as fully developed as touch in the neonate.
A dialysis nurse is educating a client on caring for the dialysis access that was inserted into the client's right arm. The nurse assesses the client's fears and concerns related to dialysis, the dialysis access, and care of the access. This information is taught over several sessions during the course of the client's hospitalization. Which phase of the working relationship is best described in this scenario?
the working phase There are three phases of a helping relationship: the orientation phase, the working phase, and the termination phase. The introduction phase is not a valid phase, yet the nurse introduces oneself during the orientation phase. The scenario defines characteristics of the working phase, during which the nurse and client work together to meet the client's physical and psychosocial needs. During the orientation phase, the nurse and client establish the tone and guidelines for the relationship . The termination phase occurs when the nurse and client acknowledge that they have met the goals of the initial agreement or that the client would be better served by another nurse or health care provider.
