A patient comments that she feels "like a baby" when she starts crying during a discussion of her cancer surgery scheduled for the next day.Which communication technique is most likely to reassure her that her response is common given her situation?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Often individuals faced with unexpected or life-threatening illnesses or possible surgeries respond in ways that seem extreme or out of the ordinary (e.g.,becoming depressed or overly tearful).The technique called normalizing allows the nurse to reassure the patient that the response is quite common given the situation.This helps to decrease the patient's anxiety and encourages the patient to share thoughts and feelings that might otherwise be kept private for fear of being judged or misunderstood.

A Patient Comments That She Feels "Like a Baby" When