The nurse is caring for a school-age client who is scheduled to have major heart surgery the next morning.The nurse enters the room to administer a medication and finds the client crying.Which response by the nurse is most therapeutic?
A) "Would you like some toys from the playroom?"
B) "I'm going to go get the doctor."
C) "You shouldn't cry. You are not in pain."
D) "It is okay to cry. I know this is scary."

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A) Assertive communication is appropriate in the group setting, but for this client, the nurse should be accepting of the client's feelings of fear. Telling the client not to cry invalidates the client's feelings. Leaving to get the doctor could be seen by the child as abandonment and would signal that the nurse is uncomfortable with the child. Distraction is not appropriate when the client is clearly upset; instead, the nurse should attempt to seek more information about what the child is feeling.
B) Assertive communication is appropriate in the group setting, but for this client, the nurse should be accepting of the client's feelings of fear. Telling the client not to cry invalidates the client's feelings. Leaving to get the doctor could be seen by the child as abandonment and would signal that the nurse is uncomfortable with the child. Distraction is not appropriate when the client is clearly upset; instead, the nurse should attempt to seek more information about what the child is feeling.
C) Assertive communication is appropriate in the group setting, but for this client, the nurse should be accepting of the client's feelings of fear. Telling the client not to cry invalidates the client's feelings. Leaving to get the doctor could be seen by the child as abandonment and would signal that the nurse is uncomfortable with the child. Distraction is not appropriate when the client is clearly upset; instead, the nurse should attempt to seek more information about what the child is feeling.
D) Assertive communication is appropriate in the group setting, but for this client, the nurse should be accepting of the client's feelings of fear. Telling the client not to cry invalidates the client's feelings. Leaving to get the doctor could be seen by the child as abandonment and would signal that the nurse is uncomfortable with the child. Distraction is not appropriate when the client is clearly upset; instead, the nurse should attempt to seek more information about what the child is feeling.

The Nurse Is Caring for a School-Age Client Who Is