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Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing:
Saunders NCLEX Review Questions and
Correct Answers/ Latest Update /
Already Graded
A client with a diagnosis of depression who has attempted suicide
says to the nurse, "I should have died. I've always been a failure.
Nothing ever goes right for me." Which response by the nurse
demon- strates therapeutic communication?
1. "You have everything to live for."
2. "Why do you see yourself as a failure?"
3. "Feeling like this is all part of being depressed."
4. "You've been feeling like a failure for a while?"
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Ans: 4
Rationale: Responding to the feelings expressed by a client is an effective
therapeutic communication technique. The correct option is an example
of the use of restating. The remaining options block communication
because they minimize the cli- ent's experience and do not facilitate
exploration of the client's expressed feelings. In addition, use of the word
why is nontherapeutic.
The nurse visits a client at home. The client states, "I haven't slept at
all the last couple of nights." Which response by the nurse
demonstrates thera- peutic communication?
1. "I see."
2. "Really?"
3. "You're having difficulty sleeping?"
4. "Sometimes I have trouble sleeping too."
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Ans: 3
Rationale: The correct option uses the therapeutic communica- tion
technique of restatement. Although restatement is a tech- nique that has
a prompting component to it, it repeats the client's major theme, which
assists the nurse to obtain a more specific perception of the problem from
the client. The remain- ing options are not therapeutic responses since
none encourages the client to expand on the problem. Offering personal
experi- ences moves the focus away from the client and onto the nurse.
A client experiencing disturbed thought processes believes that his
food is being poisoned. Which communication technique should the
nurse use to encourage the client to eat?
1. Using open-ended questions and silence
2. Sharing personal preference regarding food choices
3. Documenting reasons why the client does not want to eat
Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing:
Saunders NCLEX Review Questions and
Correct Answers/ Latest Update /
Already Graded
A client with a diagnosis of depression who has attempted suicide
says to the nurse, "I should have died. I've always been a failure.
Nothing ever goes right for me." Which response by the nurse
demon- strates therapeutic communication?
1. "You have everything to live for."
2. "Why do you see yourself as a failure?"
3. "Feeling like this is all part of being depressed."
4. "You've been feeling like a failure for a while?"
,2 | Page
Ans: 4
Rationale: Responding to the feelings expressed by a client is an effective
therapeutic communication technique. The correct option is an example
of the use of restating. The remaining options block communication
because they minimize the cli- ent's experience and do not facilitate
exploration of the client's expressed feelings. In addition, use of the word
why is nontherapeutic.
The nurse visits a client at home. The client states, "I haven't slept at
all the last couple of nights." Which response by the nurse
demonstrates thera- peutic communication?
1. "I see."
2. "Really?"
3. "You're having difficulty sleeping?"
4. "Sometimes I have trouble sleeping too."
, 3 | Page
Ans: 3
Rationale: The correct option uses the therapeutic communica- tion
technique of restatement. Although restatement is a tech- nique that has
a prompting component to it, it repeats the client's major theme, which
assists the nurse to obtain a more specific perception of the problem from
the client. The remain- ing options are not therapeutic responses since
none encourages the client to expand on the problem. Offering personal
experi- ences moves the focus away from the client and onto the nurse.
A client experiencing disturbed thought processes believes that his
food is being poisoned. Which communication technique should the
nurse use to encourage the client to eat?
1. Using open-ended questions and silence
2. Sharing personal preference regarding food choices
3. Documenting reasons why the client does not want to eat
