NURS 170 FINAL EXAM | COMPLETE NURSING STUDY GUIDE & EXAM
REVIEW 2026/2027
professional communication - ANS ✔✔a complex interactive process, used in clinical settings to help
patients achieve health-related goals
empathy - ANS ✔✔Identification with and understanding of another's situation, feelings, and motives
sympathy - ANS ✔✔feelings of pity and sorrow for someone else's misfortune
active listening - ANS ✔✔a dynamically focused interpersonal process in which a nurse hears a patient's
message, decodes its meaning, asks questions for clarification, and provides feedback to the patient
verbal communication - ANS ✔✔communication that uses written or spoken words
nonverbal communication - ANS ✔✔communication using body movements, gestures, and facial
expressions rather than speech
active listening techniques - ANS ✔✔- body language
- asking open-ended questions
- careful observational listening prompts
-maintaining eye contact
-restating patient concerns
-summarizing conceptually
barriers to effective communication - ANS ✔✔-pain/physical discomfort
-language barrier
-struggling with personal emotions
-felling defensive, insecure, judged
-confusion by complex messages
-sensory or cognitive deficits
self-awareness - ANS ✔✔A self-conscious state in which attention focuses on oneself. It makes people
more sensitive to their own attitudes and dispositions
open-ended questions - ANS ✔✔questions that are open to interpretation and cannot be answered by
"yes" or "no" or one-worded responses
closed-ended questions - ANS ✔✔narrowly focused questions, for which single answer "yes" or "no"
serve as a valid response
circular questions - ANS ✔✔focused questions that looks at how other people within the patients
support circle respond to a patient's health issues
linear questions - ANS ✔✔facilitate understanding of a situation by both the nurse and family members
(sender, message, receiver, and context)
, focused questions - ANS ✔✔require more than a "yes" or "no" answer, but they place limitations on the
topic to be addressed
useful verbal prompts - ANS ✔✔- "Go on"
- "And then?"
- "Can you tell me more about..."
clarification - ANS ✔✔a brief question or request for validation (ex. "You stated earlier that you were
concerned about your blood pressure. Tell me more about your concern")
restatement - ANS ✔✔active listening strategy used to broaden a patent's perspective or when the nurse
needs to provide a sharper focus on a specific part of the message (ex. "Are you saying that...(repeat
patient's words)")
paraphrasing - ANS ✔✔listening response used to check whether the nurse's translation of the patient's
words represent an accurate interpretation of the message (ex. patient- "I can't take this anymore. The
chemo is worse than the cancer. I just want to die." nurse- "It sounds as though you are saying you have
had enough")
reflection - ANS ✔✔active listening response that focuses on the emotional part of a message (ex. nurse-
"It sounds as though you fell guilty because you weren't home at the time of the accident")
summarizing - ANS ✔✔active listening skill used to review content and process (ex. Before moving on, I
would like to go over with you what I think we've accomplished thus far")
silence - ANS ✔✔delivered as a brief pause, is a powerful listening response (ex. briefly disconnecting
but continuing to use attending behaviors after an important idea, thought, or feeling)
touch - ANS ✔✔powerful listening response used when words would break a mood or when
verbalization would fail to convey the empathy or depth of feeling between nurse and patient (ex. gently
rubbing a person's arm during a painful procedure)
feedback - ANS ✔✔a message a nurse gives the patient in response to a question, verbal message, or
observed behavior (ex. nurse- "I noticed when the anesthesiologist was in here that you didn't ask her
any of the questions you had about your anesthesia tomorrow. Do you want to look at what you might
want to know so you can get the information you need?")
validation - ANS ✔✔A special form of feedback, used to ensure that both participants have the same
basic understanding of messages (ex. "How do you feel about what I just said?")
stress - ANS ✔✔nonspecific, emotional response of the body to any demand made upon it
stressor - ANS ✔✔any demand, situation, internal stimulus, or circumstance that threatens and
individual's personal security or integrity
internal stressors - ANS ✔✔pregnancy, fever, menopause, or emotions that originate WITHIN the body
REVIEW 2026/2027
professional communication - ANS ✔✔a complex interactive process, used in clinical settings to help
patients achieve health-related goals
empathy - ANS ✔✔Identification with and understanding of another's situation, feelings, and motives
sympathy - ANS ✔✔feelings of pity and sorrow for someone else's misfortune
active listening - ANS ✔✔a dynamically focused interpersonal process in which a nurse hears a patient's
message, decodes its meaning, asks questions for clarification, and provides feedback to the patient
verbal communication - ANS ✔✔communication that uses written or spoken words
nonverbal communication - ANS ✔✔communication using body movements, gestures, and facial
expressions rather than speech
active listening techniques - ANS ✔✔- body language
- asking open-ended questions
- careful observational listening prompts
-maintaining eye contact
-restating patient concerns
-summarizing conceptually
barriers to effective communication - ANS ✔✔-pain/physical discomfort
-language barrier
-struggling with personal emotions
-felling defensive, insecure, judged
-confusion by complex messages
-sensory or cognitive deficits
self-awareness - ANS ✔✔A self-conscious state in which attention focuses on oneself. It makes people
more sensitive to their own attitudes and dispositions
open-ended questions - ANS ✔✔questions that are open to interpretation and cannot be answered by
"yes" or "no" or one-worded responses
closed-ended questions - ANS ✔✔narrowly focused questions, for which single answer "yes" or "no"
serve as a valid response
circular questions - ANS ✔✔focused questions that looks at how other people within the patients
support circle respond to a patient's health issues
linear questions - ANS ✔✔facilitate understanding of a situation by both the nurse and family members
(sender, message, receiver, and context)
, focused questions - ANS ✔✔require more than a "yes" or "no" answer, but they place limitations on the
topic to be addressed
useful verbal prompts - ANS ✔✔- "Go on"
- "And then?"
- "Can you tell me more about..."
clarification - ANS ✔✔a brief question or request for validation (ex. "You stated earlier that you were
concerned about your blood pressure. Tell me more about your concern")
restatement - ANS ✔✔active listening strategy used to broaden a patent's perspective or when the nurse
needs to provide a sharper focus on a specific part of the message (ex. "Are you saying that...(repeat
patient's words)")
paraphrasing - ANS ✔✔listening response used to check whether the nurse's translation of the patient's
words represent an accurate interpretation of the message (ex. patient- "I can't take this anymore. The
chemo is worse than the cancer. I just want to die." nurse- "It sounds as though you are saying you have
had enough")
reflection - ANS ✔✔active listening response that focuses on the emotional part of a message (ex. nurse-
"It sounds as though you fell guilty because you weren't home at the time of the accident")
summarizing - ANS ✔✔active listening skill used to review content and process (ex. Before moving on, I
would like to go over with you what I think we've accomplished thus far")
silence - ANS ✔✔delivered as a brief pause, is a powerful listening response (ex. briefly disconnecting
but continuing to use attending behaviors after an important idea, thought, or feeling)
touch - ANS ✔✔powerful listening response used when words would break a mood or when
verbalization would fail to convey the empathy or depth of feeling between nurse and patient (ex. gently
rubbing a person's arm during a painful procedure)
feedback - ANS ✔✔a message a nurse gives the patient in response to a question, verbal message, or
observed behavior (ex. nurse- "I noticed when the anesthesiologist was in here that you didn't ask her
any of the questions you had about your anesthesia tomorrow. Do you want to look at what you might
want to know so you can get the information you need?")
validation - ANS ✔✔A special form of feedback, used to ensure that both participants have the same
basic understanding of messages (ex. "How do you feel about what I just said?")
stress - ANS ✔✔nonspecific, emotional response of the body to any demand made upon it
stressor - ANS ✔✔any demand, situation, internal stimulus, or circumstance that threatens and
individual's personal security or integrity
internal stressors - ANS ✔✔pregnancy, fever, menopause, or emotions that originate WITHIN the body
