The nurse is caring for a patient who has undergone surgery following a motor vehicle accident. The patient is stable and resting comfortably; he is expected to make a full recovery. Upon entering the room, the nurse notes the patient’s wife is holding his hand and crying. Which statement by the nurse is most appropriate?

“I will sit with you for a while if you would like to talk about it.”. The nurse must not make assumptions about why the patient’s wife is crying. In order to promote therapeutic communication, the nurse offers self by offering to sit with the wife and listen while she talks about what is bothering her. Telling the wife that her husband is lucky, that he is doing well and not to cry, and assuming the wife is crying because she’s scared are not examples of therapeutic communication.

The nurse is caring for a patient who has undergone surgery follo...

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Psychosocial Integrity
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Category: Psychosocial Integrity
Difficulty: 4

Topics: Communication & Documentation Crisis Management

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