When observing a patient's verbal and nonverbal communication,the nurse notices a discrepancy.Which statement is true regarding this situation?
A)The nurse should ask someone who knows the patient well to help interpret this discrepancy.
B)The nurse should focus on the patient's verbal message and try to ignore the nonverbal behaviors.
C)The nurse should try to integrate the verbal and nonverbal messages and then interpret them as an "average."
D)The nurse should focus on the patient's nonverbal behaviors because these are often more reflective of a patient's true feelings.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When nonverbal and verbal messages are congruent,the verbal is reinforced.When they are incongruent,the nonverbal message tends to be the true one because it is under less conscious control.Thus it is important to study the nonverbal messages of patients and examiners and to understand their meanings.

When Observing a Patient's Verbal and Nonverbal Communication,the Nurse Notices