MENTAL HEALTH NURSING
CHAPTER 8 THERAPEUTIC
RELATIONSHIPS LATEST UPDATE
VERIFIED QUESTIONS & DETAILED
EXPLANATIONS GRADED A+
Professional Academic Assistance Services
A nurse assesses a confused older adult. The nurse experiences
sadness and reflects, "The patient is like one of my
grandparents...so helpless." Which response is the nurse
demonstrating?
a. Transference
b. Countertransference
c. Catastrophic reaction
d. Defensive coping reaction - Answer: ANS: B
Countertransference is the nurse's transference or response to a
patient that is based on the nurse's unconscious needs, conflicts,
problems, or view of the world.
Which statement shows a nurse has empathy for a patient who
made a suicide attempt?
a. "You must have been very upset when you tried to hurt
,yourself."
b. "It makes me sad to see you going through such a difficult
experience."
c. "If you tell me what is troubling you, I can help you solve your
problems."
d. "Suicide is a drastic solution to a problem that may not be
such a serious matter." - Answer: ANS: A
Empathy permits the nurse to see an event from the patient's
perspective, understand the patient's feelings, and
communicate this to the patient. The incorrect responses are
nurse- centered (focusing on the nurse's feelings rather than the
patient's), belittling, and sympathetic.
*After several therapeutic encounters with a patient who
recently attempted suicide, which occurrence should cause the
nurse to consider the possibility of countertransference?*
a. The patient's reactions toward the nurse seem realistic and
appropriate.
b. The patient states, "Talking to you feels like talking to my
parents."
c. The nurse feels unusually happy when the patient's mood
begins to lift.
d. The nurse develops a trusting relationship with the patient. -
Answer: ANS: C
, Strong positive or negative reactions toward a patient or over-
identification with the patient indicate possible
countertransference. Nurses must carefully monitor their own
feelings and reactions to detect countertransference and then
seek supervision. Realistic and appropriate reactions from a
patient toward a nurse are desirable. One incorrect response
suggests transference. A trusting relationship with the patient is
desirable.
*A patient says, "Please don't share information about me with
the other people." How should the nurse respond?*
a. "I will not share information with your family or friends
without your permission, but I share information about you with
other staff."
b. "A therapeutic relationship is just between the nurse and the
patient. It is up to you to tell others what you want them to
know."
c. "It depends on what you choose to tell me. I will be glad to
disclose at the end of each session what I will report to others."
d. "I cannot tell anyone about you. It will be as though I am
talking about my own problems, and we can help each other by
keeping it between us." - Answer: ANS: A
A patient has the right to know with whom the nurse will share
information and that confidentiality will be protected. Although
the relationship is primarily between the nurse and patient,
CHAPTER 8 THERAPEUTIC
RELATIONSHIPS LATEST UPDATE
VERIFIED QUESTIONS & DETAILED
EXPLANATIONS GRADED A+
Professional Academic Assistance Services
A nurse assesses a confused older adult. The nurse experiences
sadness and reflects, "The patient is like one of my
grandparents...so helpless." Which response is the nurse
demonstrating?
a. Transference
b. Countertransference
c. Catastrophic reaction
d. Defensive coping reaction - Answer: ANS: B
Countertransference is the nurse's transference or response to a
patient that is based on the nurse's unconscious needs, conflicts,
problems, or view of the world.
Which statement shows a nurse has empathy for a patient who
made a suicide attempt?
a. "You must have been very upset when you tried to hurt
,yourself."
b. "It makes me sad to see you going through such a difficult
experience."
c. "If you tell me what is troubling you, I can help you solve your
problems."
d. "Suicide is a drastic solution to a problem that may not be
such a serious matter." - Answer: ANS: A
Empathy permits the nurse to see an event from the patient's
perspective, understand the patient's feelings, and
communicate this to the patient. The incorrect responses are
nurse- centered (focusing on the nurse's feelings rather than the
patient's), belittling, and sympathetic.
*After several therapeutic encounters with a patient who
recently attempted suicide, which occurrence should cause the
nurse to consider the possibility of countertransference?*
a. The patient's reactions toward the nurse seem realistic and
appropriate.
b. The patient states, "Talking to you feels like talking to my
parents."
c. The nurse feels unusually happy when the patient's mood
begins to lift.
d. The nurse develops a trusting relationship with the patient. -
Answer: ANS: C
, Strong positive or negative reactions toward a patient or over-
identification with the patient indicate possible
countertransference. Nurses must carefully monitor their own
feelings and reactions to detect countertransference and then
seek supervision. Realistic and appropriate reactions from a
patient toward a nurse are desirable. One incorrect response
suggests transference. A trusting relationship with the patient is
desirable.
*A patient says, "Please don't share information about me with
the other people." How should the nurse respond?*
a. "I will not share information with your family or friends
without your permission, but I share information about you with
other staff."
b. "A therapeutic relationship is just between the nurse and the
patient. It is up to you to tell others what you want them to
know."
c. "It depends on what you choose to tell me. I will be glad to
disclose at the end of each session what I will report to others."
d. "I cannot tell anyone about you. It will be as though I am
talking about my own problems, and we can help each other by
keeping it between us." - Answer: ANS: A
A patient has the right to know with whom the nurse will share
information and that confidentiality will be protected. Although
the relationship is primarily between the nurse and patient,
