The nurse is assessing a patient who says that she is feeling fine.The patient,however,is wringing her hands and is teary eyed.The nurse should respond to the patient in which of the following ways?
A)"You seem anxious today.Is there anything on your mind?"
B)"I'm glad you're feeling better.I'll be back later to help you with your bath."
C)"I can see you're upset.Let me get you some tissue."
D)"It looks to me like you're in pain.I'll get you some medication."

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When assessing a patient's needs,assess both the verbal and the nonverbal messages and validate them.In this case,if you see a patient wringing her hands and sighing,it is appropriate to ask,"You seem anxious today.Is there anything on your mind?" It is not enough to accept only the verbal message if nonverbal signals conflict,and it is inappropriate to jump to conclusions about what the nonverbal signals mean.

The Nurse Is Assessing a Patient Who Says That She