Therapeutic Comm Q 38
A patient diagnosed with terminal cancer says to the nurse “I’m going to die, and I wish my family would stop hoping for a cure! I get so angry when they carry on like this. After all, I’m the one who’s dying.” Which response by the nurse is therapeutic?
A. "Have you shared your feelings with your family?"
B. "I think we should talk more about your anger with your family."
C. "You're feeling angry that your family continues to hope for you to be cured?"
D. "You are probably very depressed, which is understandable with such a diagnosis."
Correct Answer: C. “You’re feeling angry that your family continues to hope for you to be cured?”
Restating is a therapeutic communication technique in which the nurse repeats what the patient says to show understanding and to review what was said. Restating is done to clarify the client’s message by repeating the same statement back to the client.
Option A: Judgements place a positive or negative value on the client and their messages. The therapeutic nurse-client relationship must be, at all times, nonjudgmental, open, and honest.
Option B: While it is appropriate for the nurse to attempt to assess the patient’s ability to discuss feelings openly with family members, it does not help the patient discuss the feelings causing the anger.
Option D: The nurse’s attempt to focus on the central issue of anger is premature. The nurse would never make a judgment regarding the reason for the patient’s feelings; this is non-therapeutic in the one-to-one relationship.