A patient answers questions quietly and appears sad. While answering questions about her marriage, she begins to cry. Which response by the nurse is appropriate in this situation?
A) "Don't cry! I'll come back when you've settled down."
B) "I only have a few more questions to ask, and then I'll leave you alone for a while."
C) "Everyone has ups and downs in their marriage. What problems are you having?"
D) "I see that you are upset. Is there something you'd like to discuss?"

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

"I see that you are upset. Is there something you'd like to discuss?" shows that the nurse is attentive to the patient's feelings and does not make assumptions about the reason why the patient is crying. The crying may signify additional data the nurse needs to collect during this interview. "Don't cry! I'll come back when you've settled down" is not a therapeutic response. The nurse needs to support the patient rather than leave her. "I only have a few more questions to ask, and then I'll leave you alone for a while" is not a therapeutic response. The nurse is more concerned about getting the history than the patient's response. "Everyone has ups and downs in their marriage. What problems are you having?" is not a therapeutic response. The nurse is assuming there are problems in the marriage instead of collecting more data.

A Patient Answers Questions Quietly and Appears Sad