RN HESI Mental Health 2023 Related

Review RN HESI Mental Health 2023 related questions and content

A client requests permission for the spouse to remain in the room during the admission assessment. While interviewing the client, the nurse notes a discrepancy between the client's verbal and nonverbal communication. Which action should the nurse take?

  • A. Ignore the nonverbal behavior and focus on the client's verbal messages
  • B. Integrate the verbal and nonverbal messages and interpret them as one
  • C. Ask the client's spouse to interpret the discrepancy
  • D. Pay close attention and document the nonverbal messages
Correct Answer: D

Rationale: Paying close attention and documenting nonverbal messages gathers comprehensive data for further exploration. Ignoring nonverbal cues misses important information. Integrating messages prematurely may misinterpret the discrepancy. Asking the spouse to interpret is inappropriate and may not be accurate.