The nurse prepares to obtain a health history from a hospitalized patient. Which action by the nurse is appropriate?
- A. Set time limits for the interview to reduce cost.
- B. Avoid asking questions that may upset the patient.
- C. Respect the patient's privacy by closing the door.
- D. Stand at the foot of the bed to maintain eye contact.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: Respect the patient's privacy by closing the door. Closing the door ensures confidentiality and privacy during the health history interview. This step is crucial to maintain the patient's dignity and foster trust. Setting time limits (choice A) may compromise the quality of the assessment. Avoiding upsetting questions (choice B) may hinder the gathering of important information. Standing at the foot of the bed for eye contact (choice D) is not appropriate as it may seem confrontational and uncomfortable for the patient.
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The nurse can best ensure that communication is understood by:
- A. speaking slowly and clearly in the patient's native language.
- B. asking the family members whether the patient understands.
- C. obtaining feedback from the patient that indicates accurate comprehension.
- D. checking for signs of hearing loss or aphasia before communicating. The best way to determine understanding is to ask the patient. Factors such as anxiety, hearing acuity, language, aphasia, or lack of familiarity with medical jargon or routines can all contribute to misunderstanding.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: obtaining feedback from the patient that indicates accurate comprehension. This is the best way to ensure effective communication because it directly involves the patient in the communication process, allowing for clarification if needed. By receiving feedback from the patient, the nurse can confirm whether the information has been understood correctly. This approach promotes active listening and engagement from the patient, enhancing the likelihood of accurate communication.
Incorrect choices:
A: Speaking slowly and clearly in the patient's native language may help, but it does not guarantee comprehension.
B: Asking family members may not accurately reflect the patient's understanding and could lead to miscommunication.
D: Checking for signs of hearing loss or aphasia is important, but it does not directly assess the patient's understanding of the communication.
According to Swanson's theory, there are five caring processes, one of which is "knowing." What are the other four?
- A. Communication, assertiveness, responsibility, and caring
- B. Maintaining belief, being with, doing for, and enabling
- C. Understanding, action, information, and comfort
- D. Maintaining belief, being with, enabling, and supporting
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: Maintaining belief, being with, doing for, and enabling.
- Maintaining belief: Involves believing in the patient's capacity for self-care.
- Being with: Being present and connecting emotionally with the patient.
- Doing for: Providing assistance and meeting the patient's needs.
- Enabling: Encouraging and supporting the patient to reach their full potential.
Other choices are incorrect:
- A: Communication, assertiveness, responsibility, and caring do not align with Swanson's caring processes.
- C: Understanding, action, information, and comfort are not the caring processes in Swanson's theory.
- D: Maintaining belief, being with, enabling, and supporting is partly correct but lacks the "doing for" process.
The nurse tells a patient, "For the last 2 days we have talked about whether to notify your daughter of your upcoming surgery in 2 days. You have indicated you do not want to be a burden to her, but you also would like to have her here. You may have to decide rather quickly because of the time constraint." The nurse is using the technique of:
- A. focusing.
- B. reflection.
- C. restatement.
- D. summarizing. Summarizing presents the problem and possible solutions with the attendant difficulties. This technique "unclutters" the problem and presents it back to the patient for his or her choice of a solution.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D: summarizing. Summarizing involves presenting the problem and potential solutions to the patient in a clear and concise manner. In this scenario, the nurse is summarizing the patient's thoughts and concerns about notifying their daughter of the upcoming surgery. By doing so, the nurse is helping the patient to make a decision by clarifying the situation and potential options. This technique allows the patient to reflect on the information presented and make an informed choice.
A: Focusing involves directing the conversation to a specific topic or issue.
B: Reflection involves restating the patient's feelings or thoughts to show understanding.
C: Restatement involves repeating the patient's words to confirm understanding.
Therefore, the correct answer is D because summarizing is the technique being used in this scenario to help the patient make a decision regarding notifying their daughter about the upcoming surgery.
When an office nurse asks the patient to repeat information that he has just given to the patient over the telephone, the nurse is:
- A. testing the patient's intelligence and memory.
- B. acting in a cautious way to avoid charges of negligence.
- C. verifying that the patient understands the information.
- D. saving the extra time it would take to mail the information. Obtaining feedback from a patient to ascertain that the patient understands instructions is an important part of the communication process, especially over the phone, when the nurse does not have nonverbal cues.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C because asking the patient to repeat the information verifies their understanding. This is crucial in healthcare to ensure accurate communication and patient safety. Choice A is incorrect as it focuses on intelligence rather than comprehension. Choice B is incorrect as it assumes the nurse is motivated by avoiding negligence rather than patient care. Choice D is incorrect as saving time should not compromise patient understanding.Verifying patient comprehension fosters effective communication and prevents errors.
An experienced nurse is supervising a student nurse in an acute care setting. Which statement, if made by the experienced nurse, would be most appropriate to help the student nurse establish credibility with other nurses on the unit?
- A. "It is impossible to be credible when you are a student because you lack experience.=
- B. "Try to hide your feelings of inadequacy and portray a sense of confidence.=
- C. "Be honest with the nurses about your strengths and about areas that need improvement.=
- D. "It would help if you bring special treats for the nurses so that they will like you.=
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: "Be honest with the nurses about your strengths and about areas that need improvement." This statement promotes transparency, self-awareness, and humility, which are important traits in gaining credibility. Being honest about strengths shows confidence, while acknowledging areas for improvement demonstrates a willingness to learn and grow. This approach fosters trust and respect among colleagues.
Choice A is incorrect as it undermines the student nurse's potential for credibility based on experience. Choice B suggests masking feelings of inadequacy, which can lead to inauthentic interactions. Choice D is inappropriate as it implies trying to buy favor with treats rather than earning credibility through professional conduct.