Which one of the following goals of therapeutic communication would the nurse strive to attain first?
- A. Facilitate the client's expression of emotions
- B. Establish a therapeutic nurse/client relationship
- C. Teach the client and family necessary self-care skills
- D. Implement interventions designed to address the client's needs
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Establishing a therapeutic relationship is the foundational step in therapeutic communication, enabling trust and open dialogue before addressing emotions, teaching skills, or implementing interventions.
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A patient yells, 'All the nurses here are so mean. None of you really care about us!' The most therapeutic response would be,
- A. I cannot allow you to yell like that.
- B. We care about you.
- C. Oh, really?
- D. You seem very irritated.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Reflecting the client's feelings, like irritation, acknowledges their emotions and encourages further expression, fostering a therapeutic dialogue.
Which of the following statements is true of empathy?
- A. It is the ability to place oneself into the experience of another for a moment in time.
- B. It involves interjecting the nurse's personal experiences and interpretations of the situation.
- C. It is developed by gathering information from the client.
- D. It results in negative therapeutic outcomes.
- E. The client must learn to develop empathy for the nurse.
Correct Answer: A,C
Rationale: Empathy involves understanding the client's experience by gathering information directly from them, avoiding personal bias, and fostering positive therapeutic outcomes, not requiring reciprocal empathy from the client.
The client stated, 'I was so upset about my sister ignoring me when I was talking about being ashamed.' Which nontherapeutic communication technique would the nurse be using if the nurse would state, 'How are your stress reduction classes going?'
- A. Changing the subject
- B. Offering advice
- C. Challenging
- D. Disapproving
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Changing the subject to an unrelated topic dismisses the client's emotional concern, hindering therapeutic communication.
Which of the following is the best reason that many psychiatric care units have policies against clients touching one another or staff?
- A. Because some clients with mental illness have difficulty knowing when touch is or is not appropriate
- B. Because clients often perceive being touched as a threat and may attempt to protect himself or herself by striking the staff person
- C. Because it can be threatening to both the client and the nurse
- D. Because touching always leads to more touching
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Policies against touching in psychiatric units address clients' difficulty with understanding appropriate boundaries, reducing risks of misinterpretation or escalation.
The nurse should use clear concrete messages when working with patients displaying which of the following conditions?
- A. Anxiety
- B. Anorexia
- C. Dementia
- D. Schizophrenia
- E. Hypochondriasis
Correct Answer: A,C,D
Rationale: Clear, concrete messages are essential for clients with anxiety, dementia, or schizophrenia, who may struggle with abstract thinking due to cognitive or emotional impairments.
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