The psychiatric-mental health nurse wishes to build upon the ...

[washai]

The psychiatric-mental health nurse wishes to build upon the professional skill of using therapeutic communication during the nurse-patient relationship. Using the acronym RULE, which action by the nurse will best demonstrate active listening?
 
  1. Conveying sympathy
  2. Accepting the patient
  3. Conveying empathy
  4. Validating the patient

Question 2

The nurse is meeting with a patient and says, I would love to hear how you are feeling today. While the patient speaks, the nurse yawns, looks at her watch, and folds her arms over her chest. What do the nurse's words and actions best indicate
 
  1. Disinterest in the patient's answers
  2. Boredom with the therapy session
  3. Incongruence of verbal and nonverbal communication
  4. Incongruence of nonverbal communication and meta-communication

[juicepod]

Answer to Question 1

Answer: 3
Explanation: With the acronym RULE, 'L' means listen. The best way the nurse can actively listen to the patient is by conveying empathy, or the ability to feel another person's feelings. Conveying sympathy is conveying pity for an individual, which is not active listening. While accepting and validating the patient are both important tasks for the nurse to achieve, these are therapeutic techniques themselves, not examples of active listening.

Answer to Question 2

Answer: 3
Explanation: The nurse's verbal message is incongruent with her nonverbal communication because her statement indicates interest while her nonverbal communication indicates disinterest. Meta-communication refers to those involved in the communication and the context of the communication, but not the content of the communication. There is insufficient information to determine if the nurse is bored, in part because of the mixed message she is sending.