M.38: Testbank for The Concept of
Communication (TB Exam 2)
A nurse is providing care for a client who has vocal cord damage and wants to implement
strategies that will promote communication with this client. Which interventions would be
appropriate? Select all that apply. - ANS - Using a picture board to facilitate communication
- Having pen and paper on hand for the client
Rationale:
The client who is nonverbal would respond best to use of a picture board or pen and paper.
Because the client cannot communicateverbally, facing the client whentalking, using an
interpreter, or using theclient's dominant language would not address theclient's inability to
communicate.
Which of the following barriers to communication involves asking a client for information chiefly
out of curiosity rather than with the intent to assist theclient? - ANS Probing
The nurse is caring for a client who is having difficulty understanding the dressing changes that
need to be completed in the home as part of postdischarge wound care. The client asks the
nurse to demonstrate the procedure again and allow theclient's spouse to perform the
procedure while the nurse watches. What is the most likely outcome of this assertive request by
theclient? - ANS A greater likelihood that the wound will heal appropriately
Rationale:
The client used assertive communication to ensure that the dressing changes would be
performedcorrectly, which will likely result in appropriate healing of theclient's wound. No
information is provided about thenurse's response to therequest, and even if the nurse is
irritated, these feelings should not affect the quality of care. There is no guarantee that the
client's spouse will always perform the taskcorrectly, because humans make mistakes. Infection
of a wound that is dressed correctly is not the likely result of this request.
A home health nurse is precepting a new nurse during a routine wound care visit. The new
nurse is assessing theclient's wound and notes that it is showing signs and symptoms of
infection. Theclient's spouse asks the new nurse how the wound looks. The new nurse
responds bystating, "It looksfine," but the newnurse's face indicates a different story. When
evaluating the newnurse, the preceptor should note a need to work on which aspect of
communication? - ANS Congruence
Rationale:
, Congruence is adjustingone's tone of speech and facial expression to matchone's spoken
message. If anurse's facial expression and words are notcongruent, the client and family will
often suspect that something is wrong. Credibility is the quality of beingtruthful, trustworthy, and
reliable. Although thenurse's words in this situation may not be completelytrue, they do not
necessarily reflect a larger problem with credibility. Timing means that a message is delivered
when the client and family are capable of processing it fully and correctly. Clarity and brevity are
characteristics involving preciseness and use of few words.
Which of the following statements on the part of the nurse is an example of the communication
barrier known astesting? - ANS "Do you thinkyou're the only client on the unit rightnow?"
Rationale:
Testing involves asking questions that make the patient admit to something. These responses
permit the patient only limited answers and often meet thenurse's need rather than the
patient's. Of the options listedhere, "Do you thinkyou're the only client on the unit rightnow?"
best meets this definition. Telling the client that most people have little or no pain after a
procedure is an example of stereotyping. Asking about why a client started using marijuana may
be an example of probing. Questioning how the client is still in pain after medication
administration is an example ofchallenging, or making clients prove their statements or point of
view.
The nurse is caring for a client with a new colostomy. The client has been taught how to perform
colostomy care and has been successful with return demonstration to the staff. Although the
client is able to perform care independently and has asked to doso, the charge nurse has
instructed the nursing staff to continue performing colostomy care for this client. When
addressing this issue directly with the chargenurse, which statement by a staff nurse is the
mostappropriate? - ANS "The client has been trained to change the apparatus and has
expressed interest in performing this procedureindependently."
A nurse educator in amedical-surgical unit is demonstrating the use of new equipment to the
rest of the nurses on the unit. After initial efforts at having the class gather closely around the
models were met with discomfort andinattention, the nurse educator sets up the models in the
front of the classroom. Which level of proxemics would be ideal for thissituation? - ANS 4 to 12
feet
Rationale:
Because the nurse is communicating with a group and all members of the group must be able to
see the modelsclearly, a social distance of 4 to 12 feet would be appropriate. Social distance is
characterized by aclear, visual perception of the wholeindividual, and it is expedient for
communicating with several people at the same time. Incontrast, an intimate distance of 11/2
feet or less would likely make the group members extremely uncomfortable and prevent them
from seeing all aspects of the demonstration. A personal distance of 11/2 to 4 feet might still
cause discomfort among participants and make it difficult for them to observe the models in full.
Finally, a public distance of 12 to 15 feet would make it hard for participants to observe the
Communication (TB Exam 2)
A nurse is providing care for a client who has vocal cord damage and wants to implement
strategies that will promote communication with this client. Which interventions would be
appropriate? Select all that apply. - ANS - Using a picture board to facilitate communication
- Having pen and paper on hand for the client
Rationale:
The client who is nonverbal would respond best to use of a picture board or pen and paper.
Because the client cannot communicateverbally, facing the client whentalking, using an
interpreter, or using theclient's dominant language would not address theclient's inability to
communicate.
Which of the following barriers to communication involves asking a client for information chiefly
out of curiosity rather than with the intent to assist theclient? - ANS Probing
The nurse is caring for a client who is having difficulty understanding the dressing changes that
need to be completed in the home as part of postdischarge wound care. The client asks the
nurse to demonstrate the procedure again and allow theclient's spouse to perform the
procedure while the nurse watches. What is the most likely outcome of this assertive request by
theclient? - ANS A greater likelihood that the wound will heal appropriately
Rationale:
The client used assertive communication to ensure that the dressing changes would be
performedcorrectly, which will likely result in appropriate healing of theclient's wound. No
information is provided about thenurse's response to therequest, and even if the nurse is
irritated, these feelings should not affect the quality of care. There is no guarantee that the
client's spouse will always perform the taskcorrectly, because humans make mistakes. Infection
of a wound that is dressed correctly is not the likely result of this request.
A home health nurse is precepting a new nurse during a routine wound care visit. The new
nurse is assessing theclient's wound and notes that it is showing signs and symptoms of
infection. Theclient's spouse asks the new nurse how the wound looks. The new nurse
responds bystating, "It looksfine," but the newnurse's face indicates a different story. When
evaluating the newnurse, the preceptor should note a need to work on which aspect of
communication? - ANS Congruence
Rationale:
, Congruence is adjustingone's tone of speech and facial expression to matchone's spoken
message. If anurse's facial expression and words are notcongruent, the client and family will
often suspect that something is wrong. Credibility is the quality of beingtruthful, trustworthy, and
reliable. Although thenurse's words in this situation may not be completelytrue, they do not
necessarily reflect a larger problem with credibility. Timing means that a message is delivered
when the client and family are capable of processing it fully and correctly. Clarity and brevity are
characteristics involving preciseness and use of few words.
Which of the following statements on the part of the nurse is an example of the communication
barrier known astesting? - ANS "Do you thinkyou're the only client on the unit rightnow?"
Rationale:
Testing involves asking questions that make the patient admit to something. These responses
permit the patient only limited answers and often meet thenurse's need rather than the
patient's. Of the options listedhere, "Do you thinkyou're the only client on the unit rightnow?"
best meets this definition. Telling the client that most people have little or no pain after a
procedure is an example of stereotyping. Asking about why a client started using marijuana may
be an example of probing. Questioning how the client is still in pain after medication
administration is an example ofchallenging, or making clients prove their statements or point of
view.
The nurse is caring for a client with a new colostomy. The client has been taught how to perform
colostomy care and has been successful with return demonstration to the staff. Although the
client is able to perform care independently and has asked to doso, the charge nurse has
instructed the nursing staff to continue performing colostomy care for this client. When
addressing this issue directly with the chargenurse, which statement by a staff nurse is the
mostappropriate? - ANS "The client has been trained to change the apparatus and has
expressed interest in performing this procedureindependently."
A nurse educator in amedical-surgical unit is demonstrating the use of new equipment to the
rest of the nurses on the unit. After initial efforts at having the class gather closely around the
models were met with discomfort andinattention, the nurse educator sets up the models in the
front of the classroom. Which level of proxemics would be ideal for thissituation? - ANS 4 to 12
feet
Rationale:
Because the nurse is communicating with a group and all members of the group must be able to
see the modelsclearly, a social distance of 4 to 12 feet would be appropriate. Social distance is
characterized by aclear, visual perception of the wholeindividual, and it is expedient for
communicating with several people at the same time. Incontrast, an intimate distance of 11/2
feet or less would likely make the group members extremely uncomfortable and prevent them
from seeing all aspects of the demonstration. A personal distance of 11/2 to 4 feet might still
cause discomfort among participants and make it difficult for them to observe the models in full.
Finally, a public distance of 12 to 15 feet would make it hard for participants to observe the
