1. The nurse uses a variety of therapeutic communication skills when working with
patients. Which of the following is a therapeutic goal that can be accomplished through
the use of therapeutic communication skills?
A) Inform the patient of priority problems
B) Assess the patient's perception of a problem
C) Assist the patient to control emotions
D) Provide the patient with a plan of action
Ans: B
Feedback:
Therapeutic communication can help nurses to accomplish many goals including
identifying the most important concern to the client at that moment, assessing the
client's perception of the problem, facilitating the client's expression of emotions, and
guiding the client toward identifying a plan of action.
2. Which one of the following goals of therapeutic communication would the nurse strive
to attain first?
A) Facilitate the client's expression of emotions.
B) Establish a therapeutic nurse–client relationship.
C) Teach the client and family necessary self-care skills.
D) Implement interventions designed to address the client's needs.
Ans: A
Feedback:
Establishing a therapeutic relationship is one of the most important responsibilities of
the nurse when working with clients.
3. Which of the following statements is true of empathy? Select all that apply.
A) It is the ability to place oneself into the experience of another for a moment in
time.
B) It involves interjecting the nurse's personal experiences and interpretations of the
situation.
C) It is developed by gathering information from the client.
D) It results in negative therapeutic outcomes.
E) The client must learn to develop empathy for the nurse.
Ans: A, C
Feedback:
Empathy is the ability to place oneself into the experience of another for a moment in
time. Nurses develop empathy by gathering as much information about an issue as
possible directly from the client to avoid interjecting their personal experiences and
interpretations of the situation. It does not result in negative therapeutic outcomes. The
nurse must develop empathy with the client.
4. The nurse asks the patient what he would like to talk about. This is an example of
A) broad opening.
Page 1
, B) encouraging expression.
C) focusing.
D) offering self.
Ans: A
Feedback:
Broad openings allow the client to take the initiative in introducing the topic.
Encouraging expression involves asking the client to appraise the quality of his or her
experiences. The nurse uses focusing when concentrating on a single point. Offering self
occurs when making oneself available.
5. A patient says, “Its' been so long since I've been with my family.” Which statement by
the nurse is an example of restating?
A) “You say you haven't seen your family in a while.”
B) “Tell me when you last saw your family.”
C) “Go on. Tell me more.”
D) “When was the last time you saw your family?”
Ans: A
Feedback:
Restating is repeating the main idea expressed. Restatement lets the client know that he
or she communicated the idea effectively. This encourages the client to continue.
Focusing or concentrating on a single point encourages the client to concentrate his or
her energies on a specific point, which may prevent a multitude of factors or problems
from overwhelming the client. General leads give encouragement to continue. They
indicate that the nurse is listening and following what the client is saying without taking
away the initiative for the interaction. Placing events in sequence clarifies the
relationship of events in time. This helps both the nurse and the client to see them in
perspective.
6. The patient expresses frustration that the doctor does not spend enough time with the
patient when making rounds. The nurse replies, “The doctors are very busy. What can I
help you with?” The nurse incorporated which nontherapeutic technique in this
response?
A) Belittling
B) Defending
C) Disagreeing
D) Introducing an unrelated topic
Ans: B
Feedback:
Defending attempts to protect someone or something from verbal attack. This implies
that the client has no right to express impressions, opinions, or feelings. Belittling is
misjudging the degree of the client's discomfort, which implies that the discomfort is
temporary, mild, self-limiting, or not very important. Disagreeing is opposing the
client's ideas, which may cause the client to feel defensive about his or her point of view
or ideas. Introducing an unrelated topic is evidenced when the nurse changes the
Page 2
patients. Which of the following is a therapeutic goal that can be accomplished through
the use of therapeutic communication skills?
A) Inform the patient of priority problems
B) Assess the patient's perception of a problem
C) Assist the patient to control emotions
D) Provide the patient with a plan of action
Ans: B
Feedback:
Therapeutic communication can help nurses to accomplish many goals including
identifying the most important concern to the client at that moment, assessing the
client's perception of the problem, facilitating the client's expression of emotions, and
guiding the client toward identifying a plan of action.
2. Which one of the following goals of therapeutic communication would the nurse strive
to attain first?
A) Facilitate the client's expression of emotions.
B) Establish a therapeutic nurse–client relationship.
C) Teach the client and family necessary self-care skills.
D) Implement interventions designed to address the client's needs.
Ans: A
Feedback:
Establishing a therapeutic relationship is one of the most important responsibilities of
the nurse when working with clients.
3. Which of the following statements is true of empathy? Select all that apply.
A) It is the ability to place oneself into the experience of another for a moment in
time.
B) It involves interjecting the nurse's personal experiences and interpretations of the
situation.
C) It is developed by gathering information from the client.
D) It results in negative therapeutic outcomes.
E) The client must learn to develop empathy for the nurse.
Ans: A, C
Feedback:
Empathy is the ability to place oneself into the experience of another for a moment in
time. Nurses develop empathy by gathering as much information about an issue as
possible directly from the client to avoid interjecting their personal experiences and
interpretations of the situation. It does not result in negative therapeutic outcomes. The
nurse must develop empathy with the client.
4. The nurse asks the patient what he would like to talk about. This is an example of
A) broad opening.
Page 1
, B) encouraging expression.
C) focusing.
D) offering self.
Ans: A
Feedback:
Broad openings allow the client to take the initiative in introducing the topic.
Encouraging expression involves asking the client to appraise the quality of his or her
experiences. The nurse uses focusing when concentrating on a single point. Offering self
occurs when making oneself available.
5. A patient says, “Its' been so long since I've been with my family.” Which statement by
the nurse is an example of restating?
A) “You say you haven't seen your family in a while.”
B) “Tell me when you last saw your family.”
C) “Go on. Tell me more.”
D) “When was the last time you saw your family?”
Ans: A
Feedback:
Restating is repeating the main idea expressed. Restatement lets the client know that he
or she communicated the idea effectively. This encourages the client to continue.
Focusing or concentrating on a single point encourages the client to concentrate his or
her energies on a specific point, which may prevent a multitude of factors or problems
from overwhelming the client. General leads give encouragement to continue. They
indicate that the nurse is listening and following what the client is saying without taking
away the initiative for the interaction. Placing events in sequence clarifies the
relationship of events in time. This helps both the nurse and the client to see them in
perspective.
6. The patient expresses frustration that the doctor does not spend enough time with the
patient when making rounds. The nurse replies, “The doctors are very busy. What can I
help you with?” The nurse incorporated which nontherapeutic technique in this
response?
A) Belittling
B) Defending
C) Disagreeing
D) Introducing an unrelated topic
Ans: B
Feedback:
Defending attempts to protect someone or something from verbal attack. This implies
that the client has no right to express impressions, opinions, or feelings. Belittling is
misjudging the degree of the client's discomfort, which implies that the discomfort is
temporary, mild, self-limiting, or not very important. Disagreeing is opposing the
client's ideas, which may cause the client to feel defensive about his or her point of view
or ideas. Introducing an unrelated topic is evidenced when the nurse changes the
Page 2
