Question 1

When the nurse takes the patient's hand,the patient quickly pulls it back.How will the nurse interpret this patient's behavior?

Accepted Answer

Nurses need to remain sensitive to their actions as well as the patient's feelings.If a patient refuses to hold a nurse's hand while in pain or pulls away from physical contact,this signals that the patient is uncomfortable with being touched by the nurse.It does not imply impaired social skills,inability to express feelings,or difficulty with nonverbal communication.

Question 2

Which technique is the best way for the nurse to obtain information from the patient?

Accepted Answer

Most people have a natural tendency to fill empty spaces with words,but sometimes silence is useful when they face decisions that require much thought.Nontherapeutic techniques discourage further expression of feelings and ideas and engender negative responses or behaviors in others.Asking irrelevant personal questions simply to satisfy your curiosity is inappropriate and invasive and nontherapeutic.Limit questions to health-related information.Health care professionals have their own culture and language.Using technical words in discussions with patients can cause confusion and anxiety.Avoid excessive use of such terms or translate them into lay terms.Sometimes asking "why" implies an accusation and results in resentment,insecurity,and mistrust.

Question 3

The nurse manager rehearses what to say to a nurse who made a serious medication error.Which form of communication is being used by the nurse manager?

Accepted Answer

Intrapersonal communication,also called self-talk,is a powerful form of communication that occurs within an individual.People "talk to themselves" by forming thoughts internally that strongly influence perceptions,feelings,behavior,self-concept,and performance.Self-talk is a mental rehearsal for difficult tasks or situations so that individuals deal with them more effectively.Nonverbal communication uses body language,gestures,and eye contact to convey messages rather than spoken phrases.Intonation is inflection and pitch of the voice used to help convey a message.Orientation is the interview phase when the patient and nurse meet and get to know each other.

Question 4

Which is the best strategy for the nurse to use when communicating with a patient from different culture?

Accepted Answer

When a patient is from another culture,the nurse should consider the context of the patient's background.Accept patients' rights to adhere to cultural customs and norms.People of different cultures use different types of verbal and nonverbal cues to convey meaning.A nurse should make a conscious effort not to interpret messages through his or her own cultural perspective; instead,a nurse considers the context of the other individual's background.Avoid stereotyping people from other cultures or making jokes about them.With patients from another culture,the nurse cannot assume the patient or family members can speak English.

Question 5

The emergency room nurse obtains report from the paramedics as the patient is on the way to the hospital.The nurse is in which phase of the therapeutic relationship?

Accepted Answer

In the preinteraction stage the nurse gathers information from various sources about the patient such as from the paramedics.The orientation phase when you and the patient meet and get to know one another is the time when the contract is formed.The nurse and patient work together during the working phase to solve problems and accomplish goals.During the termination phase the helping relationship is ended.

Question 6

A nurse is caring for a patient who cannot speak clearly.Which technique should the nurse use to enhance conversation with this patient?

Accepted Answer

For patients who are mute,unable to speak,or cannot speak clearly,ask simple questions that require "yes" or "no" answers.Use normal volume and do not shout or speak too loudly.Do not finish the patient's sentences.Use communication aids as needed; do not avoid them.

Question 7

Which action by the nurse will help to reduce the fears of a hospitalized young child?

Accepted Answer

The nurse should sit in a chair next to the bed.A nurse appears less dominant and less threatening when interacting at the patient's eye level.Looking down on a person (standing by the bed)establishes authority,but interacting at the same eye level indicates equality in the relationship.Constant eye contact can be intrusive or threatening to some people.Twelve inches is within the intimate zone and can be threatening.

Question 8

Which health care professional will be of most assistance to help the patient with aphasia following a stroke?

Accepted Answer

Speech therapists help patients with aphasia.The nurse should collaborate with other health care providers who have expertise in communication strategies.Medical interpreters are invaluable when a patient speaks a foreign language.Mental health advanced practice nurses help in communicating with angry or highly anxious patients.Physical therapists help with mobility issues.

Question 9

Which action by the nurse demonstrates appropriate timing for effective communication?

Accepted Answer

The nurse demonstrates appropriate timing by waiting to begin teaching until the patient's nausea has subsided.Timing must be appropriate in order for the receiver to understand the message.The nurse demonstrates pacing by speaking slowly for a patient who is hard of hearing.Timing does not refer to ensuring privacy or maintaining eye contact.

Question 10

Which assessment findings will the nurse communicate to the physician using the SBAR tool?

Accepted Answer

SBAR stands for situation,background,assessment,and recommendation.Use of common language when communicating critical information helps prevent misunderstandings.SBAR has become a best practice for standardizing communication between health care providers.SBAR is not used to communicate low-priority assessment findings such as constipation,initial refusal to learn,or cold breakfast trays.

Question 11

Which action communicates to the patient that the nurse wants to leave the patient's room to care for other patients?

Accepted Answer

Repeatedly checking the clock to see what time it is communicates to the patient that the nurse wishes to leave the room.Sitting next to the patient,ensuring privacy,and holding the patients hand are supportive nonverbal communications.

Question 12

The nurse informs the patient that a code pink is paged overhead when an infant is abducted from the hospital.What is the best description of the use of the term code pink in this situation?

Accepted Answer

Code pink in this instance is a denotative meaning in that the term refers to infant abduction to providers within the agency.Individuals who use a common language share the denotative meaning of a word or phrase.Perceptual stereotyping prevents accurate interpretation of messages from others.Inflection refers to the tone and pitch of the voice during verbal communication.Territoriality refers to the physical space between the sender and the receiver.

Question 13

A nurse is caring for a patient who is visually impaired.Which technique will the nurse use to facilitate communication?

Accepted Answer

For a visually impaired patient,identify yourself when entering the room.The nurse should communicate verbally before touching the patient who is visually impaired.Notify the patient when leaving the room; do not quietly leave the room when finished as the patient will think you are still in the room.Ensure that lighting is adequate for the patient to see the speaker; do not keep it dimly lit.

Question 14

Which is the most appropriate nursing diagnosis to use for a patient with expressive aphasia following a stroke?

Accepted Answer

Impaired verbal communication is the nursing diagnostic label used for a patient who has limited or no ability to communicate verbally.This diagnosis is useful for a wide variety of patients with special problems and needs related to communication.It is defined as difficulty or inability to use or understand language in interpersonal reactions.Readiness for enhanced comfort,deficient diversional activity,and noncompliance do not directly relate to the patient's inability to speak.

Question 15

The nurse educates the patient about what to expect during suctioning of the tracheostomy tube.Which term best describes the patient's communication role?

Accepted Answer

The patient is the receiver in this scenario,as they have received the message.The nurse is the sender in this scenario.The sender is the person who delivers the message.The message is the content of the conversation; in this scenario explaining what will happen is the message.The channel is the means of conveying and receiving messages through visual,auditory,and tactile senses,the nurse's spoken words in this scenario.

Question 16

A nurse gives a hand-off report to the oncoming staff nurse.Which type of communication does this illustrate?

Accepted Answer

Interpersonal communication is interaction that occurs between two people or within a small group.Gossiping violates confidentiality.The act of validation requires comparing data with another source.Professional courtesy conveys respect between colleagues.The nurse should always utilize professional courtesy when providing report to the oncoming shift.

Question 17

The nurse educates the patient about what to expect during insertion of a nasogastric tube.Which term best describes the nurse's communication role?

Accepted Answer

The nurse is the sender in this scenario.The sender is the person who delivers the message.The message is sent to a receiver,in this case the patient.The message is the content of the conversation; in this scenario explaining what will happen is the message.The channel is the means of conveying and receiving messages through visual,auditory,and tactile senses,the nurse's spoken words in this scenario.

Question 18

Which behavior best demonstrates active listening by the nurse?

Accepted Answer

The best behavior is sitting facing the patient.Active listening enhances trust because the nurse communicates acceptance and respect for the patient.Several nonverbal skills facilitate attentive listening,which are identified by the acronym SOLER:
Sit facing the patient.
Observe an open posture.
Lean toward the patient.
Establish and maintain eye contact.
Relax.
Keeping arms crossed is a closed posture.Leaning toward,not away,from the patient is active listening.Sitting,not standing,is best.

Question 19

The patient verbalized frustration to the nurse about the lengthy recovery time after surgery.The nurse's response was "I understand how you want to be feeling better already." Which communication technique was used by the nurse?

Accepted Answer

Empathy is the ability to understand and accept another person's perspective.Although no one can ever totally know another's experiences,a nurse can try to understand what the person is experiencing.Focusing directs conversation to a specific topic or issue when a discussion becomes unclear.Self-disclosures are personal statements intentionally revealed to the other person.Sympathy is the concern,sorrow,or pity that you feel for a patient when you personally identify with his or her needs.Unlike empathy,which tries to understand a patient's experience,sympathy takes a subjective look at the patient's world.

Question 20

Which statement by the nurse is an example of an SBAR recommendation?

Accepted Answer

The SBAR recommendation statement is what the nurse believes should happen next for the patient to address the crucial situation at hand.The nurse recommends that the patient receive oxygen to maintain pulse oximetry between 90% and 92%.The SBAR situation statement is the increasing shortness of breath.The SBAR background statement is the patient's history of respiratory failure.The SBAR assessment statement is the current pulse oximetry and lung sounds.

Quiz 11: Communication