A client with recurrent headaches has been told by the physician that the cause is likely psychosomatic. The client reports this conversation to the nurse and says, That just can't be true! My head hurts so bad sometimes that it makes me sick to my stomach. Which is the nurse's best response?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When the nurse says, The pain in your head is very real, the nurse is validating the client's pain as real. The client is asking for some type of validation. In the situation presented, the client's headaches are very real to him or her. The client needs to talk out the feelings regarding what the physician has told him or her. It would be inappropriate for the nurse to say nothing. To give the client some privacy and time to calm down is not indicated. Well, that's not what your doctor thinks, would put the client on the defensive.

A Client with Recurrent Headaches Has Been Told by the Physician