Nokea
The nurse understands that empathy is essential to the therapeutic relationship. When a patient makes the statement, 'I am just devastated that my marriage is falling apart,' the nurse can best show empathy through which of the following responses?
- A. I feel so bad for what you are going through.
- B. You feel like your world is falling apart right now.
- C. I have been divorced too. I know how hard it is.
- D. It will get better, let's talk about it.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Therapeutic communication techniques, such as reflection, restatement, and clarification, help the nurse to send empathetic messages to the client. The nurse must understand the difference between empathy and sympathy (feelings of concern or compassion one shows for another). Sympathy often shifts the emphasis to the nurse's feelings, hindering the nurse's ability to view the client's needs objectively.
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Which role of the nurse is most likely to create difficulty for the nurse/client relationship if the client confuses physical care with intimacy and sexual interest?
- A. Teacher
- B. Caregiver
- C. Advocate
- D. Parent surrogate
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Physical care in the caregiver role can be confused with intimacy, potentially eroding the therapeutic relationship.
A nurse notices a patient sitting quietly alone, eyes downcast, and looking sad. The nurse says to the patient, 'You look like something is bothering you.' Which pattern of knowing did the nurse use to respond to the patient?
- A. Empirical knowing
- B. Personal knowing
- C. Ethical knowing
- D. Aesthetic knowing
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Personal knowing is obtained from life experience, such as observing a client's emotional state.
In the working phase of a therapeutic relationship, which of the following actions by the nurse would best help the client to explore?
- A. Comparing past and present
- B. Encouraging the client to clarify feelings and behavior
- C. Identifying possible solutions for the client's problems
- D. Referring the client to a self-help group
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Encouraging the client to clarify feelings and behavior is a first step in problem identification and exploration.
A nurse is working with a patient whose background is very different from hers. A good question to ask herself to assure she can be effective working with this patient would be,
- A. Can this person understand me?
- B. Do I understand this patient's expectations of me?
- C. What experiences do I have with people with similar backgrounds?
- D. Is this person going to be able to relate to me?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: To best assess self-awareness, the nurse should ask 'What experiences have I had with people from ethnic groups, socioeconomic classes, religions, age groups, or communities different from my own?'
The nurse has been working with a patient with an eating disorder for one week. During the morning treatment team meeting, the treatment plan is updated. Which of the following would be appropriate interventions at this time in the nurse/patient relationship? Select all that apply.
- A. Exploring perceptions of reality
- B. Promoting a positive self-concept
- C. Explaining the boundaries of the relationship
- D. Working through resistance
- E. Assisting in identifying problems
Correct Answer: A,B,D
Rationale: Tasks of the working phase include exploring perceptions of reality, promoting a positive self-concept, and working through resistance.