The nurse is caring for an intoxicated client who has been ...

[joesmith1212]

The nurse is caring for an intoxicated client who has been admitted to the emergency department. The client appears very angry and frequently shouts at the nurse and demands to see the physician. The best response by the nurse is to use
 
  a. blaming.
  b. empathy.
  c. competition.
  d. I statements.

Question 2

The home health nurse is visiting a family who is having difficulty coping. The family has a 2-month-old malnourished child whom they are feeding diluted formula along with rice cereal.
 
  The parents of the child are unemployed and are unable to pay their monthly expenses. The father of the child complains of not being able to find a job, while the mother of the child accuses him of not even trying to find employment. Which of the following techniques would be most helpful for the nurse to use in this situation? (Select all that apply.)
 
  a. Linear questioning
  b. Interventive questioning
  c. Circular questioning
  d. Encouraging their coping style
  e. Identifying family strengths

[wuly]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: B
Effective nurse-client communication is critical to efficient care provision and to providing quality care. Knowing how to respond in emotional situations allows the nurse to use feelings as a positive force. Nurses often find themselves in dramatic situations in which a calm response is required. Some clients approach their initial encounter with a nurse with hostility or embarrassment, such as the intoxicated client admitted to an emergency department. To listen and to respond creatively to intense emotion when the nurse's first impulse is to withdraw or to retaliate demands a high level of skill. It requires self-control and empathy for what the client may be experiencing. The nurse should avoid blaming, which will only make the client feel defensive or angry. Competition is a response style characterized by domination. In this contradictory style, one party exercises power to gain his own goals at the expense of the other person. It is characterized by aggression and lack of compromise. Authority may be used to suppress the conflict in a dictatorial manner. This leads to increased stress. It is an effective style when there is a need for a quick decision, but it leads to problems in the long term, making it a lose-lose situation. Timing is also important if an individual is very angry. The key to assertive behavior is choice. Sometimes it is better to allow the client to let off some emotional steam before engaging in conversation.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: A, B, C, E
Interventive questioning is a nursing intervention that nurses can use with their client families to identify family strengths; help family members sort out their personal fears, concerns, and challenges in health care situations; and provide a vehicle for exploring alternative options. Interventive questioning can be either linear or circular. Encouraging the family's current coping style is not useful because it clearly has detrimental effects, including a malnourished child.