NCLEX RN Practice Question

The correct answer is to encourage the client to express their feelings about the guilt they’re experiencing. Actively listening and providing a safe space for the client to verbalize their emotions is a key part of therapeutic communication and grief support. Validating feelings helps the client begin to process their grief in a healthy manner. While providing information about grief stages or suggesting distractions may be helpful in later interventions, these responses are not the most effective initial actions when addressing the emotional intensity of guilt. Minimizing their guilt without exploration of their emotions disregards the client’s need for validation and recognition of their feelings.