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When engaged in therapeutic communication in a therapeutic relationship with a patient with a mental health problem, which of the following would be most important for the nurse to keep in mind?
- A. The nurse should self-disclose when indicated.
- B. The patient is the primary focus of the interaction.
- C. The nurse should have an empathetic relationship with the patient.
- D. The patient?s conversations should be recorded.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Therapeutic communication prioritizes the patient?s needs and perspective, making the patient the primary focus. Self-disclosure is used cautiously and only when beneficial, empathy is important but secondary to patient focus, and recording conversations is inappropriate without consent and not a primary concern.
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During an interview, a patient tells the nurse that he was recently let go from his job. As the interaction continues, the patient states, 'I was really overqualified for that position anyway. It was definitely below my area of expertise.' The nurse interprets this information as reflecting which of the following?
- A. Denial
- B. Intellectualization
- C. Projection
- D. Passive aggression
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Intellectualization involves using rational explanations to avoid emotional distress. The patient?s statement minimizes the job loss by focusing on being overqualified, distancing from the emotional impact. Denial avoids the reality, projection attributes feelings to others, and passive aggression expresses hostility indirectly.
A nurse has engaged in self-awareness and has come to understand his own personal beliefs and attitudes and has recognized some prejudicial ideas. Based on this understanding, which of the following would the nurse now be able to accomplish?
- A. Have a therapeutic relationship with a patient.
- B. Influence patients with certain biases.
- C. Change learned behaviors.
- D. Formulate values and morals.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Self-awareness, including recognizing personal biases, allows the nurse to set aside prejudices and engage objectively with patients, fostering a therapeutic relationship. Influencing patients with biases is unethical, changing behaviors requires more than self-awareness, and formulating values and morals is a broader personal process not directly tied to patient care.
A nurse engaged in an interaction with a patient recognizes body space zones. Which of the following would the nurse identify as the individual?s personal zone?
- A. Beginning at the boundary of the intimate zone and ending at the social zone
- B. Extending outward from the border to the public zone
- C. Surrounding and protecting an individual from others, especially outsiders
- D. The most distant boundary that can be used for recognizing intruders
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The personal zone, per Hall?s proxemics theory, extends from 1.5 to 4 feet, beginning at the boundary of the intimate zone (0?1.5 feet) and ending at the social zone (4?12 feet). It?s used for comfortable interactions. Other options describe the social zone, a general concept, or the public zone, respectively.
The nurse is engaged in a therapeutic nurse-patient relationship. The relationship is in the working phase. With which of the following would the patient be involved? Select all that apply.
- A. Beginning to identify a need
- B. Testing new ways for problem solving
- C. Testing the relationship
- D. Discussing problems related to needs
- E. Examining personal issues
Correct Answer: B,D,E
Rationale: In the working phase of the nurse-patient relationship (per Peplau), the patient actively engages in problem-solving, discussing needs, and examining personal issues to achieve therapeutic goals. Identifying needs and testing the relationship occur in the orientation phase.
A nurse responds to a patient?s statement with silence based on the rationale that this technique is used primarily to do which of the following?
- A. Allow the nurse to determine an appropriate response
- B. Permit the patient to gather his or her thoughts
- C. Encourage self-reflection by the nurse
- D. Demonstrate passive listening
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Silence in therapeutic communication allows the patient to gather thoughts, process emotions, or continue speaking, promoting deeper exploration. It?s not primarily for the nurse?s response planning, self-reflection, or passive listening, which is nontherapeutic.