A nurse is observing a hospitalized client who has recently received a diagnosis of cancer. The client is sitting in bed, avoiding eye contact, wringing their hands, and occasionally sighing deeply. What is the nurse's best response to address the observed behavior?
Provide printed educational materials about coping with a cancer diagnosis.
Ask the client, 'You seem upset. Would you like to talk about how you're feeling?'
Explore the client's feelings about their treatment and provide reassurance about the medical team's expertise.
Tell the client, 'I’ll connect you with a counselor to help you deal with your diagnosis.'
The correct answer is to acknowledge and address the non-verbal cues through therapeutic communication. Behaviors such as avoiding eye contact, wringing hands, and sighing deeply may indicate emotional distress, such as anxiety or fear. Using an open-ended question like 'You seem upset. Would you like to talk about how you're feeling?' gives the client an opportunity to express their emotions, helping the nurse better understand the client's needs. Offering printed educational materials or prematurely providing reassurance without first exploring their emotions may invalidate the client's feelings. Similarly, attempting to explore feelings while overly focusing on providing reassurance about the medical team does not directly address the observable signs of distress.
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Psychosocial Integrity
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