The nurse enters the room of a client with schizophrenia the day after he has been admitted to an inpatient setting and says, I would like to spend some time talking with you. The client stares straight ahead and remains silent. The best response by the nurse would be,

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This response indicates acceptance of the client and shows genuine interest in him, building rapport and trust. Initially, the client may tolerate only 5 or 10 minutes of contact at one time. Establishing a therapeutic relationship takes time, and the nurse must be patient. The nurse must maintain nonverbal communication with the client, especially when verbal communication is not very successful. This involves spending time with the client, perhaps through fairly length periods of silence. The presence of the nurse is a contact with reality for the client and also can demonstrate the nurse's genuine interest and caring to the client. The other choices are not consistent with what is therapeutic for the client.

The Nurse Enters the Room of a Client with Schizophrenia