Chapter 8 Practice Questions

A group of nursing students is working together on a presentation for their clinical instructor. One student in the group participates by arguing and attempting to block each step of the process of this presentation. The student’s behavior is causing frustration for the others and slowing their progress. Which of the following best describes the role this individual student is playing in relationship to the group dynamics?

A) Self-serving

B) Task-oriented

C) Maintenance

D) Group-building

A) Self-serving

The nurse is caring for a client who speaks Chinese, and the nurse does not speak Chinese. An appropriate approach for communication with this client includes what?

A) Using a caring voice and repeating messages frequently

B) Speaking directly and loudly to the client

C) Avoiding the use of gesture or play-acting

D) Writing messages for the client and offering him a dictionary for translation.

A) Using a caring voice and repeating messages frequently

The daughter of an older adult female client has asked the nurse why a urine specimen was collected from her mother earlier that morning. How can the nurse best respond to the daughter’s query?

A) “We want to test your mother’s urine to make sure she doesn’t have a urinary tract infection.”

B) “Your mother’s doctor ordered a urine sample to rule out a UTI.”

C) “We want to do everything we can to get your mother healthy again.”

D) “Sometimes sick urine can make the whole person sick, and this might be causing her fever.”

A) “We want to test your mother’s urine to make sure she doesn’t have a urinary tract infection.”

A nurse has drafted an SBAR communication before contacting the primary care provider of a client whose condition has worsened suddenly. How should the nurse best conclude this communication?

A) Ask the care provider to come and assess the client.

B) Provide the client’s most recent vital signs.

C) Ask the care provider if he or she is familiar with this client.

D) Provide the most likely diagnosis of the problem.

A) Ask the care provider to come and assess the client.

The nurse has entered a client’s room and observes that the client is hunched over and appears to be breathing rapidly. What type of question should the nurse first implement in this interaction?

A) A yes/no question

B) A directing question

C) An open-ended question

D) A reflective question

A) A yes/no question

The nurse has entered a client’s room after receiving a morning report. The nurse rapidly assessed the client’s airway, breathing, and circulation and greeted the client by saying “Good morning.” The client has made no reciprocal response to the nurse. How should the nurse best respond to the client’s silence?

A) The nurse should ask appropriate questions to understand the reasons for the client’s silence.

B) The nurse should apologize for bothering the client, perform necessary assessments efficiently and leave the room.

C) The nurse should document the client’s withdrawal and diminished mood in the nurse’s notes.

D) The nurse should ask the client if he feels afraid or angry

A) The nurse should ask appropriate questions to understand the reasons for the client’s silence.

A nurse touches a client’s hand to indicate caring and support. What channel of communication is the nurse using?

A) Auditory

B) Visual

C) Olfactory

D) Kinesthetic

D) Kinesthetic

A nurse is educating a home care client on how to administer a topical medication. The client is watching television while the nurse is talking. What might be the result of this interaction?

A) The message will likely be misunderstood.

B) The stimulus for communication is unclear.

C) The receiver will accurately interpret the message.

D) The communication will be reciprocal.

A) The message will likely be misunderstood.

The family of a client in a burn unit asks the nurse for information. The nurse sits with the family and discusses their concerns. What type of communication is this?

A) Intrapersonal

B) Interpersonal

C) Organizational

D) Focused

A) Interpersonal

Which of the following is an example of nonverbal communication?

A) A nurse says, “I am going to help you walk now.”

B) A nurse presents information to a group of clients.

C) A client’s face is contorted with pain.

D) A client asks the nurse for a pain shot.

C) A client’s face is contorted with pain.

A nursing student caring for an unconscious client knows that communication is important even if the client does not respond. Which nonverbal action by the nursing student would communicate caring?

A) Making constant eye contact with the client

B) Waving to the client when entering the room

C) Sighing frequently while providing care

D) Holding the client’s hand while talking

D) Holding the client’s hand while talking

Which of the following statements is true of factors that influence communication?

A) Nurses provide the same information to all clients, regardless of age.

B) Men and women have similar communication styles.

C) Culture and lifestyle influence the communication process.

D) Distance from a client has little effect on a nurse’s message.

C) Culture and lifestyle influence the communication process.

A nurse is sitting near a client while conducting a health history. The client keeps edging away from the nurse. What might this mean in terms of personal space?

A) The nurse is outside the client’s personal space.

B) The nurse is in the client’s personal space.

C) The client does not like the nurse.

D) The client has concerns about the questions.

B) The nurse is in the client’s personal space.

Why is communication important to the “assessing” step of the nursing process?

A) The major focus of assessing is to gather information.

B) Assessing is primarily focused on physical findings.

C) Assessing involves only nonverbal cues.

D) Written information is rarely used in assessment.

A) The major focus of assessing is to gather information.

A nurse uses the SBAR method to hand off the communication to the health care team. Which of the following might be listed under the “B” of the acronym?

A) Vital signs

B) Mental status

C) Client request

D) Further testing

B) Mental status

What is the goal of the nurse in a helping relationship with a client?

A) To provide hands-on physical care

B) To ensure safety while caring for the client

C) To assist the client to identify and achieve goals

D) To facilitate the client’s interactions with others

C) To assist the client to identify and achieve goals

What action by the nurse will facilitate the helping relationship during the orientation phase?

A) Providing assistance to meet activities of daily living

B) Introducing oneself to the client by name

C) Designing a specific teaching plan of care

D) Preparing for termination of the relationship

B) Introducing oneself to the client by name

Which of the nursing roles is primarily performed during the working phase of the helping relationship?

A) Educator and counselor

B) Provider of care

C) Leader and manager

D) Researcher

A) Educator and counselor

Which term describes a nurse who is sensitive to the client’s feelings, but remains objective enough to help the client achieve positive outcomes?

A) Competent

B) Caring

C) Honest

D) Empathic

D) Empathic

What is the primary focus of communication during the nurse–client relationship?

A) Time available to the nurse

B) Nursing activity to be performed

C) Client and client needs

D) Environment of the client

C) Client and client needs

Which of the following is an example of a closed-ended question or statement?

A) “How did that make you feel?”

B) “Did you take those drugs?”

C) “What medications do you take at home?”

D) “Describe the type of pain you have.”

B) “Did you take those drugs?”

A client tells the nurse that he is very worried about his surgery. Which of the following responses by the nurse is a cliché?

A) “Tell me what you are worried about.”

B) “Have you spoken to your family about your concerns?”

C) “Do you want to cancel your surgery?”

D) “Don’t worry, everything will be fine.”

D) “Don’t worry, everything will be fine.”

A nurse tells a client, “Aren’t you going to get out of bed or are you just going to sleep all day and night?” This is an example of which of the following barriers to communication?

A) Using comments that give advice

B) Using judgmental or belittling language

C) Using leading questions

D) Using probing questions

B) Using judgmental or belittling language

A nurse is caring for a client who is visually impaired. Which of the following is a recommended guideline for communication with this client?

A) Ease into the room without acknowledging presence until the client can be touched.

B) Speak in a louder tone of voice to make up for lack of visual cues.

C) Explain reason for touching client before doing so.

D) Keep communication simple and concrete.

C) Explain reason for touching client before doing so.

A client has been recently diagnosed with diabetes. He is seen in the emergency room every day with high blood sugar. The client apologizes to the nurse for bothering them every day, but he cannot give himself insulin injections. What should the nurse’s response be?

A) “I myself cannot take insulin injections.”

B) “Has someone taught you how to take them?”

C) “You should learn to take injections yourself.”

D) “Ask the doctor to change the medications.”

B) “Has someone taught you how to take them?”

A nurse pays a house visit to a client who is on total parenteral nutrition. The client expresses that he misses enjoying food with his family. What is the most appropriate response by the nurse?

A) Tell me more about how it feels to eat with your family.

B) You can sit with your family at meal times, even though you don’t eat.

C) In a few weeks you may be allowed to eat a little; you may enjoy then.

D) I know that you must be missing your favorite foods.

A) Tell me more about how it feels to eat with your family.

A nurse is caring for a client with myasthenia gravis. The client is having difficulty forming words and his tone is nasal. Which of the following is an effective communication strategy for this client?

A) Engage the client in a lengthy discussion to strengthen his voice.

B) Encourage the client to speak quickly while talking.

C) Repeat what the client has said to verify the meaning.

D) Nod continuously when the client is talking.

C) Repeat what the client has said to verify the meaning.

The nurse has engaged the services of an interpreter when interviewing a client who speaks a language that the nurse does not understand. The interpreter is functioning in which role during the communication process?

A) Sender

B) Encoder

C) Receiver

D) Communication channel

D) Communication channel

A client comes to the clinic complaining of abdominal pain. Which first question would be most appropriate for the nurse to ask to facilitate the assessment?

A) “Do you have sharp, stabbing pain?”

B) “Is the pain associated with meals?”

C) “What activities exaggerate the pain?”

D) “Does the pain increase on palpation?”

C) “What activities exaggerate the pain?”

When documenting client care, the nurse understands that the most important reason for correct and accurate documentation is which of the following?

A) Legal representation to care

B) Conveyance of information

C) Assisting in organization of care

D) Noting the client’s response to interventions

B) Conveyance of information

An older adult client who has had a colostomy for over 10 years states, “I won’t need any teaching about colostomies. I understand how to change the bag and care for my colostomy, but I’m not sure how to best clean my stoma.” What does this statement indicate?

A) An incongruent relationship

B) A confused relationship

C) A non-therapeutic relationship

D) An evaluative relationship

A) An incongruent relationship

Which of the following statements accurately describes the relationship between therapeutic communication and the nursing process? Select all that apply.

A) Effective communication techniques, as well as observational skills, are used extensively during the assessment step.

B) Only the written word in the form of a medical record is used during the diagnosing step of the nursing process.

C) The implementing step requires communication among the client, nurse, and other team members to develop interventions and outcomes.

D) Verbal and nonverbal communication are used to educate, counsel, and support clients and their families during the implementation phase.

E) Nurses rely on the verbal and nonverbal cues they receive from their clients to evaluate whether client objectives have been achieved.

A) Effective communication techniques, as well as observational skills, are used extensively during the assessment step.

D) Verbal and nonverbal communication are used to educate, counsel, and support clients and their families during the implementation phase.

E) Nurses rely on the verbal and nonverbal cues they receive from their clients to evaluate whether client objectives have been achieved.

A nurse who is discharging a client is terminating the helping relationship. Which of the following actions might the nurse perform in this phase? Select all that apply.

A) Making formal introductions

B) Making a contract regarding the relationship

C) Providing assistance to achieve goals

D) Helping client perform activities of daily living

E) Examining goals of the relationship to determine their achievement

E) Examining goals of the relationship to determine their achievement

A nurse tells a client that she will come back in 10 minutes to re-assess the client’s pain. When the nurse returns in 10 minutes, which aspect of the therapeutic relationship is the nurse developing?

A) Empathy

B) Sympathy

C) Trust

D) Closure

C) Trust

Which of the following should the nurse first consider when attempting to become culturally competent?

A) Personal cultural beliefs and prejudices

B) Understanding the client’s response

C) Avoiding labeling clients

D) Treating the client with dignity

A) Personal cultural beliefs and prejudices