Chapter 8, Communication
Test Bank, Chapter Assignments, Discussions Plus Case Studies and Answers
Fundamentals of Nursing: The Art and Science of Person-Centered Care (10th Edition Taylor)
1. A group of nurses is working together on a hospital task force focused on preventing infection.
One nurse in the group continually argues with other members and attempts to block each step
of the process. The nurse's behavior is causing frustration for the others and slowing their
progress. Which attribute best describes this nurse's behavior in relation to group dynamics?
A. Self-serving
B. Task-oriented
C. Maintenance
D. Group-building
Answer: A
Rationale: The nurse's behavior is best described as self-serving. Self-serving behavior advances
the needs of individual members at the group's expense. Task-oriented behavior focuses on the
work to be completed. Group-building or maintenance behavior focuses on the well-being of the
people doing the work.
Question format: Multiple Choice
Chapter 8: Communication
Cognitive Level: Apply
Client Needs: Safe, Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
Integrated Process: Communication and Documentation
Reference: p. 181
2. An older adult client has given medical power of attorney to an adult child. The adult child
asks the nurse why a urine specimen was collected from the client earlier that morning. How can
the nurse respond to the query?
A. "We want to test the urine to make sure your parent does not have a urinary tract infection."
B. "Your parent's health care provider ordered a urine culture and sensitivity test to rule out a
urinary tract infection."
C. "We want to do everything we can to get your parent healthy again."
D. "Sometimes sick urine can make the whole person sick, and this might be causing the fever."
Answer: A
Rationale: To communicate effectively, the nurse should avoid the use of jargon or abbreviations
(e.g., "culture and sensitivity testing") that are unfamiliar to those outside the health care system.
At the same time, accuracy is important, and vague and "dumbed-down" answers (e.g., "we want
to do everything we can," "sick urine") are inappropriate. Explaining that the urine is being tested
to rule out a urinary tract infection is accurate, specific, and understandable to the client's adult
child.
Question format: Multiple Choice
Chapter 8: Communication
Cognitive Level: Apply
Client Needs: Psychosocial Integrity
,Integrated Process: Communication and Documentation
Reference: p. 181
3. A nurse drafts an SBAR communication before contacting the primary care provider of a client
whose condition has worsened suddenly. How should the nurse best conclude this
communication?
A. Ask the care provider to come and assess the client.
B. Provide the client's most recent vital signs.
C. Ask whether the care provider is familiar with this client.
D. Provide the most likely diagnosis of the problem.
Answer: A
Rationale: The final phase of an SBAR communication involves making a recommendation. In the
case of a client whose condition is worsening, this may entail recommending that the primary
care provider come to assess the client. Asking whether the care provider is familiar with the
client should occur early in the communication. The nurse should provide assessment data and
possible diagnoses in the background and assessment sections of the tool.
Question format: Multiple Choice
Chapter 8: Communication
Cognitive Level: Apply
Client Needs: Safe, Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
Integrated Process: Communication and Documentation
Reference: p. 185
4. The nurse enters a client's room and observes that the client is hunched over and appears to be
breathing rapidly. What type of question should the nurse first ask the client in this interaction?
A. A yes or no question
B. A directing question
C. An open-ended question
D. A reflective question
Answer: A
Rationale: Sometimes a yes or no question is appropriate. In this case, the nurse may want to ask,
"Do you feel short of breath?" or something similar. Directing questions and reflective questions
follow up on earlier communication. An open-ended question may elicit the necessary assessment
data, but a yes or no question accomplishes this goal more directly.
Question format: Multiple Choice
Chapter 8: Communication
Cognitive Level: Apply
Client Needs: Physiological Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential
Integrated Process: Communication and Documentation
Reference: p. 196
5. The nurse enters a client's room after receiving a morning report. The nurse rapidly assesses the
client's airway, breathing, and circulation and greets the client by saying "Good morning." The
client makes no reciprocal response to the nurse. How should the nurse best respond to the
client's silence?
,A. The nurse should ask appropriate questions to understand the reasons for the client's silence.
B. The nurse should apologize for bothering the client, perform necessary assessments efficiently,
and leave the room.
C. The nurse should document the client's withdrawal and diminished mood in the nurse's notes.
D. The nurse should ask the client whether the client feels afraid or angry.
Answer: A
Rationale: Silence can have many meanings, and the nurse should attempt to identify the
meaning of the client's silence in a tactful manner. Directly asking whether the client is angry or
fearful is likely presumptuous and may harm rapport. The nurse should not make assumptions
about the client's mood, nor should the nurse cease to engage with the client.
Question format: Multiple Choice
Chapter 8: Communication
Cognitive Level: Apply
Client Needs: Psychosocial Integrity
Integrated Process: Communication and Documentation
Reference: p. 178
6. A nurse touches a client's hand to indicate caring and support. What channel of
communication is the nurse using?
A. Auditory
B. Visual
C. Olfactory
D. Kinesthetic
Answer: D
Rationale: The nurse is using a kinesthetic channel of communication. The channel of
communication is the medium the sender has selected to send the message. The channel might
target any of the receiver's senses. The channels are auditory (spoken words and cues), visual
(sight, observations, and perceptions), and kinesthetic (touch). Olfactory is not one of the
channels used in communication.
Question format: Multiple Choice
Chapter 8: Communication
Cognitive Level: Apply
Client Needs: Psychosocial Integrity
Integrated Process: Caring
Reference: p. 173
7. A nurse is educating a home care client on how to administer a topical medication. The client
is watching television while the nurse is talking. What might be the result of this interaction?
A. The message will likely be misunderstood.
B. The stimulus for communication is unclear.
C. The receiver will accurately interpret the message.
D. The communication will be reciprocal.
Answer: A
, Rationale: Noise, which is a factor that distorts the quality of a message, can interfere with
communication at any point in the process. If the client is watching television, it is likely that the
message from the nurse will be misunderstood. The communication will not be reciprocal. The
stimulus or nurse is clear. The receiver, due to the noise, will inaccurately interpret the message.
Question format: Multiple Choice
Chapter 8: Communication
Cognitive Level: Apply
Client Needs: Health Promotion and Maintenance
Integrated Process: Communication and Documentation
Reference: p. 173
8. A nurse gives a speech on nutrition to a group of pregnant clients. Within the model of the
communication process, what is the speech itself known as?
A. stimulus
B. source
C. message
D. channel
Answer: C
Rationale: The message is the actual physiologic product of the source. It might be a speech,
interview, conversation, chart, gesture, memorandum, or nursing note. This communication
process is initiated based on a stimulus. The sender or source of the message is a person or group
who initiates or begins the communication process. The channel of communication is the medium
the sender has selected to send the message.
Question format: Multiple Choice
Chapter 8: Communication
Cognitive Level: Understand
Client Needs: Health Promotion and Maintenance
Integrated Process: Communication and Documentation
Reference: p. 175
9. The family of a client in a burn unit ask the nurse for information. The nurse sits with the
family and discusses their concerns. What type of communication is this?
A. Intrapersonal
B. Interpersonal
C. Organizational
D. Focused
Answer: B
Rationale: Interpersonal communication occurs among two or more people with a goal to
exchange messages. Nurses spend most of their day communicating with clients, family members,
and health care team members. Intrapersonal communication refers to self-talk. Organizational
communication refers to the forms and channels of communication among members of
organizations such as corporations, nonprofits (hospitals), or small businesses. Focused
communication centers on active listening.
Question format: Multiple Choice
Chapter 8: Communication
Test Bank, Chapter Assignments, Discussions Plus Case Studies and Answers
Fundamentals of Nursing: The Art and Science of Person-Centered Care (10th Edition Taylor)
1. A group of nurses is working together on a hospital task force focused on preventing infection.
One nurse in the group continually argues with other members and attempts to block each step
of the process. The nurse's behavior is causing frustration for the others and slowing their
progress. Which attribute best describes this nurse's behavior in relation to group dynamics?
A. Self-serving
B. Task-oriented
C. Maintenance
D. Group-building
Answer: A
Rationale: The nurse's behavior is best described as self-serving. Self-serving behavior advances
the needs of individual members at the group's expense. Task-oriented behavior focuses on the
work to be completed. Group-building or maintenance behavior focuses on the well-being of the
people doing the work.
Question format: Multiple Choice
Chapter 8: Communication
Cognitive Level: Apply
Client Needs: Safe, Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
Integrated Process: Communication and Documentation
Reference: p. 181
2. An older adult client has given medical power of attorney to an adult child. The adult child
asks the nurse why a urine specimen was collected from the client earlier that morning. How can
the nurse respond to the query?
A. "We want to test the urine to make sure your parent does not have a urinary tract infection."
B. "Your parent's health care provider ordered a urine culture and sensitivity test to rule out a
urinary tract infection."
C. "We want to do everything we can to get your parent healthy again."
D. "Sometimes sick urine can make the whole person sick, and this might be causing the fever."
Answer: A
Rationale: To communicate effectively, the nurse should avoid the use of jargon or abbreviations
(e.g., "culture and sensitivity testing") that are unfamiliar to those outside the health care system.
At the same time, accuracy is important, and vague and "dumbed-down" answers (e.g., "we want
to do everything we can," "sick urine") are inappropriate. Explaining that the urine is being tested
to rule out a urinary tract infection is accurate, specific, and understandable to the client's adult
child.
Question format: Multiple Choice
Chapter 8: Communication
Cognitive Level: Apply
Client Needs: Psychosocial Integrity
,Integrated Process: Communication and Documentation
Reference: p. 181
3. A nurse drafts an SBAR communication before contacting the primary care provider of a client
whose condition has worsened suddenly. How should the nurse best conclude this
communication?
A. Ask the care provider to come and assess the client.
B. Provide the client's most recent vital signs.
C. Ask whether the care provider is familiar with this client.
D. Provide the most likely diagnosis of the problem.
Answer: A
Rationale: The final phase of an SBAR communication involves making a recommendation. In the
case of a client whose condition is worsening, this may entail recommending that the primary
care provider come to assess the client. Asking whether the care provider is familiar with the
client should occur early in the communication. The nurse should provide assessment data and
possible diagnoses in the background and assessment sections of the tool.
Question format: Multiple Choice
Chapter 8: Communication
Cognitive Level: Apply
Client Needs: Safe, Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
Integrated Process: Communication and Documentation
Reference: p. 185
4. The nurse enters a client's room and observes that the client is hunched over and appears to be
breathing rapidly. What type of question should the nurse first ask the client in this interaction?
A. A yes or no question
B. A directing question
C. An open-ended question
D. A reflective question
Answer: A
Rationale: Sometimes a yes or no question is appropriate. In this case, the nurse may want to ask,
"Do you feel short of breath?" or something similar. Directing questions and reflective questions
follow up on earlier communication. An open-ended question may elicit the necessary assessment
data, but a yes or no question accomplishes this goal more directly.
Question format: Multiple Choice
Chapter 8: Communication
Cognitive Level: Apply
Client Needs: Physiological Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential
Integrated Process: Communication and Documentation
Reference: p. 196
5. The nurse enters a client's room after receiving a morning report. The nurse rapidly assesses the
client's airway, breathing, and circulation and greets the client by saying "Good morning." The
client makes no reciprocal response to the nurse. How should the nurse best respond to the
client's silence?
,A. The nurse should ask appropriate questions to understand the reasons for the client's silence.
B. The nurse should apologize for bothering the client, perform necessary assessments efficiently,
and leave the room.
C. The nurse should document the client's withdrawal and diminished mood in the nurse's notes.
D. The nurse should ask the client whether the client feels afraid or angry.
Answer: A
Rationale: Silence can have many meanings, and the nurse should attempt to identify the
meaning of the client's silence in a tactful manner. Directly asking whether the client is angry or
fearful is likely presumptuous and may harm rapport. The nurse should not make assumptions
about the client's mood, nor should the nurse cease to engage with the client.
Question format: Multiple Choice
Chapter 8: Communication
Cognitive Level: Apply
Client Needs: Psychosocial Integrity
Integrated Process: Communication and Documentation
Reference: p. 178
6. A nurse touches a client's hand to indicate caring and support. What channel of
communication is the nurse using?
A. Auditory
B. Visual
C. Olfactory
D. Kinesthetic
Answer: D
Rationale: The nurse is using a kinesthetic channel of communication. The channel of
communication is the medium the sender has selected to send the message. The channel might
target any of the receiver's senses. The channels are auditory (spoken words and cues), visual
(sight, observations, and perceptions), and kinesthetic (touch). Olfactory is not one of the
channels used in communication.
Question format: Multiple Choice
Chapter 8: Communication
Cognitive Level: Apply
Client Needs: Psychosocial Integrity
Integrated Process: Caring
Reference: p. 173
7. A nurse is educating a home care client on how to administer a topical medication. The client
is watching television while the nurse is talking. What might be the result of this interaction?
A. The message will likely be misunderstood.
B. The stimulus for communication is unclear.
C. The receiver will accurately interpret the message.
D. The communication will be reciprocal.
Answer: A
, Rationale: Noise, which is a factor that distorts the quality of a message, can interfere with
communication at any point in the process. If the client is watching television, it is likely that the
message from the nurse will be misunderstood. The communication will not be reciprocal. The
stimulus or nurse is clear. The receiver, due to the noise, will inaccurately interpret the message.
Question format: Multiple Choice
Chapter 8: Communication
Cognitive Level: Apply
Client Needs: Health Promotion and Maintenance
Integrated Process: Communication and Documentation
Reference: p. 173
8. A nurse gives a speech on nutrition to a group of pregnant clients. Within the model of the
communication process, what is the speech itself known as?
A. stimulus
B. source
C. message
D. channel
Answer: C
Rationale: The message is the actual physiologic product of the source. It might be a speech,
interview, conversation, chart, gesture, memorandum, or nursing note. This communication
process is initiated based on a stimulus. The sender or source of the message is a person or group
who initiates or begins the communication process. The channel of communication is the medium
the sender has selected to send the message.
Question format: Multiple Choice
Chapter 8: Communication
Cognitive Level: Understand
Client Needs: Health Promotion and Maintenance
Integrated Process: Communication and Documentation
Reference: p. 175
9. The family of a client in a burn unit ask the nurse for information. The nurse sits with the
family and discusses their concerns. What type of communication is this?
A. Intrapersonal
B. Interpersonal
C. Organizational
D. Focused
Answer: B
Rationale: Interpersonal communication occurs among two or more people with a goal to
exchange messages. Nurses spend most of their day communicating with clients, family members,
and health care team members. Intrapersonal communication refers to self-talk. Organizational
communication refers to the forms and channels of communication among members of
organizations such as corporations, nonprofits (hospitals), or small businesses. Focused
communication centers on active listening.
Question format: Multiple Choice
Chapter 8: Communication
