Mental Health Midterm
What are the 4 types of communication techniques?
silence, active listening, clarifying techniques, and questions
Using silence
Students and practicing nurses alike may find that, when the flow of words stops, they become
uncomfortable. They may rush to fill the void with questions or chatter. This response may cut
off important thoughts and feelings the patient might be taking time to think about. Silence is
not the absence of communication but a specific channel for transmitting and receiving
messages. Therefore the practitioner needs to understand that silence is a significant means of
influencing and being influenced by others.
Benefits of using Silence
Silence may provide meaningful moments of reflection for both participants. It provides an
opportunity to contemplate thoughtfully what has been said and felt, weigh alternatives,
formulate new ideas, and gain a new perspective. If the nurse waits to speak and allows the
patient to break the silence, the patient may share thoughts and feelings that would otherwise
have been withheld.
It is crucial to recognize that some psychiatric disorders, such as _________ ________ and
______________, and medications may cause an overall slowing of thought processes. This
slowing may be so severe that it may seem like an eternity before the patient responds.
Patience and gentle prompting can help patients gather their thoughts. For example, "You were
saying that you would like to get a pass this weekend to visit your niece."
,major depression
schizophrenia
In _________ ____________, nurses fully concentrate, understand, respond, and remember
what the patient is saying verbally and nonverbally.
active listening
Active listening
People want more than just a physical presence in human communication. Most people want
the other person to be there for them psychologically, socially, and emotionally.
By giving the patient undivided attention, the nurse communicates that the patient is not alone.
This kind of intervention enhances self-esteem and encourages the patient to direct energy
toward finding ways to deal with problems. Active listening helps strengthen the patient's
ability to solve problems. Serving as a sounding board, the nurse listens as the patient tests
thoughts by voicing them aloud. This form of interpersonal interaction often enables the
patient to clarify thinking, link ideas, and tentatively decide what should be done and how best
to do it.
Understanding depends on clear communication, which is aided by verifying the nurse's
interpretation of the patient's messages. The nurse can request feedback on the accuracy of
the message received from verbal and nonverbal cues through ____________ _________.
clarifying techniques
,What are the types of clarifying techniques?
paraphrasing, restating, reflecting, exploring, open-ended questions, closed-ended questions,
projective questions, and the miracle question
__________ occurs when you restate the basic content of a patient's message in different,
usually fewer, words.
paraphrasing
______________ is an active listening strategy that helps the nurse to understand what the
patient is saying. It also lets the patient know he is being heard.
restating
________________ is a means of assisting patients to better understand their own thoughts
and feelings. It may take the form of a question or a simple statement that conveys the nurse's
observations of the patient when discussing sensitive issues.
reflection
A technique that enables the nurse to examine important ideas, experiences, or relationships
more fully is _____________. For example, if a patient tells you he does not get along well with
his wife, you will want to further discuss this area. Possible openers include the following:
, "Tell me more about your relationship with your wife."
"Describe your relationship with your wife."
exploring
______-__________ questions encourage patients to share information about experiences,
perceptions, or responses to a situation. For example:
• "What do you perceive as your biggest problem right now?"
Open-ended questions
Nurses are usually urged to ask open-ended questions to elicit more than a "yes" or "no"
response. However, ___________-__________ questions, when used sparingly, can give you
specific and needed information.
closed-ended questions
______________ questions usually start with a "what if" to help people articulate, explore, and
identify thoughts and feelings. They are surprisingly strong in their ability to facilitate a patient's
thinking about problems differently and to identify priorities. They can also help people imagine
thoughts, feelings, and behaviors they might have in certain situations.
projective
What are the 4 types of communication techniques?
silence, active listening, clarifying techniques, and questions
Using silence
Students and practicing nurses alike may find that, when the flow of words stops, they become
uncomfortable. They may rush to fill the void with questions or chatter. This response may cut
off important thoughts and feelings the patient might be taking time to think about. Silence is
not the absence of communication but a specific channel for transmitting and receiving
messages. Therefore the practitioner needs to understand that silence is a significant means of
influencing and being influenced by others.
Benefits of using Silence
Silence may provide meaningful moments of reflection for both participants. It provides an
opportunity to contemplate thoughtfully what has been said and felt, weigh alternatives,
formulate new ideas, and gain a new perspective. If the nurse waits to speak and allows the
patient to break the silence, the patient may share thoughts and feelings that would otherwise
have been withheld.
It is crucial to recognize that some psychiatric disorders, such as _________ ________ and
______________, and medications may cause an overall slowing of thought processes. This
slowing may be so severe that it may seem like an eternity before the patient responds.
Patience and gentle prompting can help patients gather their thoughts. For example, "You were
saying that you would like to get a pass this weekend to visit your niece."
,major depression
schizophrenia
In _________ ____________, nurses fully concentrate, understand, respond, and remember
what the patient is saying verbally and nonverbally.
active listening
Active listening
People want more than just a physical presence in human communication. Most people want
the other person to be there for them psychologically, socially, and emotionally.
By giving the patient undivided attention, the nurse communicates that the patient is not alone.
This kind of intervention enhances self-esteem and encourages the patient to direct energy
toward finding ways to deal with problems. Active listening helps strengthen the patient's
ability to solve problems. Serving as a sounding board, the nurse listens as the patient tests
thoughts by voicing them aloud. This form of interpersonal interaction often enables the
patient to clarify thinking, link ideas, and tentatively decide what should be done and how best
to do it.
Understanding depends on clear communication, which is aided by verifying the nurse's
interpretation of the patient's messages. The nurse can request feedback on the accuracy of
the message received from verbal and nonverbal cues through ____________ _________.
clarifying techniques
,What are the types of clarifying techniques?
paraphrasing, restating, reflecting, exploring, open-ended questions, closed-ended questions,
projective questions, and the miracle question
__________ occurs when you restate the basic content of a patient's message in different,
usually fewer, words.
paraphrasing
______________ is an active listening strategy that helps the nurse to understand what the
patient is saying. It also lets the patient know he is being heard.
restating
________________ is a means of assisting patients to better understand their own thoughts
and feelings. It may take the form of a question or a simple statement that conveys the nurse's
observations of the patient when discussing sensitive issues.
reflection
A technique that enables the nurse to examine important ideas, experiences, or relationships
more fully is _____________. For example, if a patient tells you he does not get along well with
his wife, you will want to further discuss this area. Possible openers include the following:
, "Tell me more about your relationship with your wife."
"Describe your relationship with your wife."
exploring
______-__________ questions encourage patients to share information about experiences,
perceptions, or responses to a situation. For example:
• "What do you perceive as your biggest problem right now?"
Open-ended questions
Nurses are usually urged to ask open-ended questions to elicit more than a "yes" or "no"
response. However, ___________-__________ questions, when used sparingly, can give you
specific and needed information.
closed-ended questions
______________ questions usually start with a "what if" to help people articulate, explore, and
identify thoughts and feelings. They are surprisingly strong in their ability to facilitate a patient's
thinking about problems differently and to identify priorities. They can also help people imagine
thoughts, feelings, and behaviors they might have in certain situations.
projective
