Mental Health HESI 2023 Related

Review Mental Health HESI 2023 related questions and content

A woman arrives in the Emergency Center and tells the nurse she thinks she has been raped. The client is sobbing and expresses disbelief that a rape could happen because the man is her best friend. After acknowledging the client's fear and anxiety, how should the nurse respond?

  • A. I would be very upset and mad if my best friend did that to me.
  • B. You must feel betrayed, but maybe you might have led him on?
  • C. Rape is not limited to strangers and frequently occurs by someone who is known to the victim.
  • D. This does not sound like rape. Did you change your mind about having sex after the fact?
Correct Answer: C

Rationale: A victim of date rape or acquaintance rape is less prone to recognize what is happening because the incident usually involves persons who know each other and the dynamics are different than rape by a stranger. Choice (C) provides confrontation for the client's denial because the victim frequently knows and trusts the perpetrator. Nurses should not express personal feelings (Choice A) when dealing with victims. Choice B, suggesting that the client led on the rapist, indicates that the sexual assault was somehow the victim's fault. Choice D is judgmental and does not display compassion or establish trust between the nurse and the client.