What is the most essential task for a nurse to accomplish prior to forming a therapeutic
relationship with a client?
A. To clarify personal attitudes, values, and beliefs
B. To obtain thorough assessment data
C. To determine the client's length of stay
D. To establish personal goals for the interaction - Answer ANS: A
The most essential task for a nurse to accomplish prior to forming a therapeutic
relationship with a client is to clarify personal attitudes, values, and beliefs.
Understanding one's own attitudes, values, and beliefs is called self-awareness.
KEY: Cognitive Level: Comprehension | Integrated Processes: Nursing Process:
Implementation | Client Need: Psychosocial Integrity
A hungry, homeless client, diagnosed with schizophrenia, refuses to participate in an
admission interview. When the nurse postpones the admission interview, verbally
assures safety, and provides a warm meal, he or she is promoting which of the
following?
A. Sympathy
B. Trust
C. Veracity
D. Manipulation - Answer ANS: B
The nurse is promoting trust by postponing the admission interview, assuring safety,
and providing a warm meal. Trust implies a feeling of confidence that a person is
reliable and sincere and has integrity and veracity. Trustworthiness is demonstrated
through nursing interventions that convey a sense of warmth and caring to the client.
KEY: Cognitive Level: Application | Integrated Processes: Nursing Process:
Implementation | Client Need: Psychosocial Integrity
Which is the best nursing action when a client demonstrates transference toward a
nurse?
A. Promoting safety and immediately terminating the relationship with the client
B. Encouraging the client to ignore these thoughts and feelings
C. Immediately reassigning the client to another staff member
D. Helping the client to clarify the meaning of the current nurse-client relationship -
Answer ANS: D
The nurse should respond to a client's transference by clarifying the meaning of the
nurse-client relationship, based on the current situation. Transference occurs when the
client unconsciously displaces feelings toward the nurse about a person from the past.
The nurse should assist the client in separating the past from the present.
KEY: Cognitive Level: Application | Integrated Processes: Nursing Process:
Implementation | Client Need: Psychosocial Integrity
What is the priority nursing action during the orientation (introductory) phase of the
nurse-client relationship?
, Chapter 7. Relationship Development
A. Acknowledge the client's actions and generate alternative behaviors.
B. Establish rapport and develop treatment goals.
C. Attempt to find alternative placement.
D. Explore how thoughts and feelings about this client may adversely impact care. -
Answer ANS: B
The priority nursing action during the orientation phase of the nurse-client relationship
should be to establish rapport and develop treatment goals. Rapport implies feelings on
the part of both the nurse and the client based on respect, acceptance, a sense of trust,
and a nonjudgmental attitude. It is the essential foundation of the nurse-client
relationship.
KEY: Cognitive Level: Comprehension | Integrated Processes: Nursing Process:
Implementation | Client Need: Psychosocial Integrity
Which client response should a nurse expect during the working phase of the nurse-
client relationship?
A. The client gains insight and incorporates alternative behaviors.
B. The client and nurse establish rapport and mutually develop treatment goals.
C. The client explores feelings related to reentering the community.
D. The client explores personal strengths and weaknesses that impact behaviors. -
Answer ANS: A
The nurse should expect that the client would gain insight and incorporate alternative
behaviors during the working phase of the nurse-client relationship. The client may also
overcome resistance, problem-solve, and continually evaluate progress toward goals.
KEY: Cognitive Level: Application | Integrated Processes: Nursing Process:
Implementation | Client Need: Psychosocial Integrity
What should be the nurse's primary goal during the preinteraction phase of the nurse-
client relationship?
A. To evaluate goal attainment and ensure therapeutic closure
B. To establish trust and formulate a contract for intervention
C. To explore self-perceptions
D. To promote client change - Answer ANS: C
The nurse's primary goal of the preinteraction phase should be to explore self-
perceptions. The nurse should be aware of how any preconceptions may affect his or
her ability to care for individual clients. Another goal of the preinteraction phase is to
obtain available client information.
KEY: Cognitive Level: Comprehension | Integrated Processes: Nursing Process:
Planning | Client Need: Psychosocial Integrity
Which phase of the nurse-client relationship begins when the individuals first meet and
is characterized by an agreement to continue to meet and work on setting client-
centered goals?
A. Preinteraction