ATI Nurse’s Touch: Professional Communication – Exam
Questions and Answers (Graded A+, 100% Verified Study
Material)
1. A nurse uses the therapeutic communication technique of “restating” when they say:
A) “Tell me more about how you feel.”
B) “You say you are anxious about surgery.”
C) “I understand you are frustrated.”
D) “What happened next?”
Answer: B
Explanation: Restating involves repeating the patient’s exact or similar words to show you are listening
and to encourage elaboration. Option B restates the patient’s feeling of anxiety.
2. Which of the following is a barrier to therapeutic communication?
A) Active listening
B) Offering self
C) Giving false reassurance
D) Clarifying
Answer: C
Explanation: False reassurance (“Everything will be fine”) dismisses patient concerns and blocks further
expression of feelings. It is a nontherapeutic technique.
3. A nurse tells a patient, “You shouldn’t worry about that; it’s nothing serious.” This is an example of:
A) Empathy
B) False reassurance
C) Clarifying
D) Focusing
,Answer: B
Explanation: False reassurance minimizes the patient’s concerns and is a barrier to open
communication.
4. The SBAR communication tool for handoff stands for:
A) Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation
B) Symptoms, Background, Action, Review
C) Summary, Baseline, Analysis, Response
D) Situation, Briefing, Assessment, Referral
Answer: A
Explanation: SBAR improves patient safety by standardizing communication: Situation, Background,
Assessment, Recommendation.
5. When using the SBAR format, the nurse first states:
A) The patient’s diagnosis and history
B) Vital signs and assessment findings
C) What is happening right now (the problem)
D) What they think the problem is
Answer: C
Explanation: SBAR begins with Situation – a concise statement of the current problem or reason for
contacting the provider.
6. A nurse says to a patient, “I see you’re clenching your fists. You seem angry.” This is an example of:
A) Validation
B) Making an observation
C) Restating
D) Reflecting
,Answer: B
Explanation: Making an observation (verbalizing what the nurse perceives) helps the patient become
aware of their behavior and feelings.
7. Which of the following is an example of an open-ended question?
A) “Are you in pain?”
B) “Do you want to take your medication?”
C) “How have you been feeling since yesterday?”
D) “Is your nausea better?”
Answer: C
Explanation: Open-ended questions encourage detailed responses; they cannot be answered with “yes”
or “no.”
8. A patient states, “Nobody cares about me.” The nurse responds, “You feel that no one cares about
you.” This technique is called:
A) Paraphrasing
B) Reflecting
C) Restating
D) Summarizing
Answer: C (Restating) – though very close to paraphrasing. In ATI, restating repeats exact words;
paraphrasing uses similar words. Here, the nurse repeated “no one cares about me” → restating.
Explanation: Restating shows active listening and encourages the patient to continue.
9. During a shift report, the nurse says, “Mr. Jones is a 65-year-old with COPD. He has had increasing
shortness of breath over the last hour with O2 sat 88% on room air. I think he needs a chest X-ray and
neb treatment.” This is an example of:
A) CUS words
B) SBAR
, C) PACE
D) DESC
Answer: B
Explanation: Situation = shortness of breath; Background = 65, COPD; Assessment = O2 sat 88%;
Recommendation = chest X-ray and neb.
10. A nurse uses the therapeutic technique of “silence” when:
A) The patient is crying and the nurse sits quietly.
B) The nurse asks a question and waits for an answer.
C) The patient is angry and the nurse walks away.
D) The nurse is thinking of what to say next.
Answer: A
Explanation: Purposeful silence gives the patient time to reflect, express emotions, or gather thoughts.
11. Which statement by the nurse is an example of “offering self”?
A) “You should have a positive attitude.”
B) “I’ll stay here with you for a while.”
C) “Why do you feel that way?”
D) “Don’t worry, everything will be fine.”
Answer: B
Explanation: Offering self means making yourself available to the patient without imposing expectations.
Questions and Answers (Graded A+, 100% Verified Study
Material)
1. A nurse uses the therapeutic communication technique of “restating” when they say:
A) “Tell me more about how you feel.”
B) “You say you are anxious about surgery.”
C) “I understand you are frustrated.”
D) “What happened next?”
Answer: B
Explanation: Restating involves repeating the patient’s exact or similar words to show you are listening
and to encourage elaboration. Option B restates the patient’s feeling of anxiety.
2. Which of the following is a barrier to therapeutic communication?
A) Active listening
B) Offering self
C) Giving false reassurance
D) Clarifying
Answer: C
Explanation: False reassurance (“Everything will be fine”) dismisses patient concerns and blocks further
expression of feelings. It is a nontherapeutic technique.
3. A nurse tells a patient, “You shouldn’t worry about that; it’s nothing serious.” This is an example of:
A) Empathy
B) False reassurance
C) Clarifying
D) Focusing
,Answer: B
Explanation: False reassurance minimizes the patient’s concerns and is a barrier to open
communication.
4. The SBAR communication tool for handoff stands for:
A) Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation
B) Symptoms, Background, Action, Review
C) Summary, Baseline, Analysis, Response
D) Situation, Briefing, Assessment, Referral
Answer: A
Explanation: SBAR improves patient safety by standardizing communication: Situation, Background,
Assessment, Recommendation.
5. When using the SBAR format, the nurse first states:
A) The patient’s diagnosis and history
B) Vital signs and assessment findings
C) What is happening right now (the problem)
D) What they think the problem is
Answer: C
Explanation: SBAR begins with Situation – a concise statement of the current problem or reason for
contacting the provider.
6. A nurse says to a patient, “I see you’re clenching your fists. You seem angry.” This is an example of:
A) Validation
B) Making an observation
C) Restating
D) Reflecting
,Answer: B
Explanation: Making an observation (verbalizing what the nurse perceives) helps the patient become
aware of their behavior and feelings.
7. Which of the following is an example of an open-ended question?
A) “Are you in pain?”
B) “Do you want to take your medication?”
C) “How have you been feeling since yesterday?”
D) “Is your nausea better?”
Answer: C
Explanation: Open-ended questions encourage detailed responses; they cannot be answered with “yes”
or “no.”
8. A patient states, “Nobody cares about me.” The nurse responds, “You feel that no one cares about
you.” This technique is called:
A) Paraphrasing
B) Reflecting
C) Restating
D) Summarizing
Answer: C (Restating) – though very close to paraphrasing. In ATI, restating repeats exact words;
paraphrasing uses similar words. Here, the nurse repeated “no one cares about me” → restating.
Explanation: Restating shows active listening and encourages the patient to continue.
9. During a shift report, the nurse says, “Mr. Jones is a 65-year-old with COPD. He has had increasing
shortness of breath over the last hour with O2 sat 88% on room air. I think he needs a chest X-ray and
neb treatment.” This is an example of:
A) CUS words
B) SBAR
, C) PACE
D) DESC
Answer: B
Explanation: Situation = shortness of breath; Background = 65, COPD; Assessment = O2 sat 88%;
Recommendation = chest X-ray and neb.
10. A nurse uses the therapeutic technique of “silence” when:
A) The patient is crying and the nurse sits quietly.
B) The nurse asks a question and waits for an answer.
C) The patient is angry and the nurse walks away.
D) The nurse is thinking of what to say next.
Answer: A
Explanation: Purposeful silence gives the patient time to reflect, express emotions, or gather thoughts.
11. Which statement by the nurse is an example of “offering self”?
A) “You should have a positive attitude.”
B) “I’ll stay here with you for a while.”
C) “Why do you feel that way?”
D) “Don’t worry, everything will be fine.”
Answer: B
Explanation: Offering self means making yourself available to the patient without imposing expectations.
