A nurse addresses the social supports available for an older ...

[RRMR]

A nurse addresses the social supports available for an older adult client. Which of the following should the nurse include in the plan?
 
  A) Ask the client direct questions about the barriers to the use of social supports.
  B) Decide which of the programs is the highest quality.
  C) Determine if family or friends could do the work.
  D) Provide the client information about services that are available.

Question 2

While a nurse is performing a recently admitted hospital client's morning care, the client states, I'm pretty sure I'll never see my own apartment again. Which of the following responses by the nurse best demonstrates effective communication?
 
  A) What is it that makes you feel that way?
  B) I'm sure that's not going to be the case.
  C) All in all, you're doing quite fine.
  D) There's a lot that we can do, dear, to make sure that you do.

[ghepp]

Answer to Question 1

Ans: A
Assessing barriers to support services is particularly challenging because direct questions about these issues often are inappropriate and usually are very threatening. Social supports are often erroneously seen as expensive, impersonal, and hard to arrange. Funding is available for such programs, though less than 20 of eligible adults use them. The quality of care is not necessarily lower than that provided by friends or family and an older adult is not disqualified by virtue of having friends or family available.

Answer to Question 2

Ans: A
The nurse demonstrates empathy and respect, while also facilitating further assessment findings around the client's beliefs for recovery through the use of an open-ended question. The nurse should not demonstrate a false reassurance of recovery, nor downplay the client's concerns. The nurse does not use patronizing terms of address (dear, honey, sweetie).