Author Question: A novice nurse caring for patients with mental illness wants to use empathy as a therapeutic tool. ... (Read 41 times)

dejastew · **on:** Jul 19, 2018

A novice nurse caring for patients with mental illness wants to use empathy as a therapeutic tool. How is empathy used as a therapeutic tool for nurses?

1. To validate the nurse's expertise
2. To validate the nurse's perceptions
3. To validate the nurse-patient relationship
4. To validate the experiences of the patient

Question 2

The nurse validates the patient's response to an intervention prior to documenting in the progress note. What does validation ensure?

1. The patient's request is clarified.
2. The patient's affect is appropriate to the situation.
3. The patient's need for further intervention is understood.
4. The patient's perception of the response is communicated.

blazinlyss · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 19, 2018

Answer to Question 1

Answer: 4
Explanation: Empathy has components of both perception and interaction; it is more than a quality or characteristic, it is also a communication tool that validates the experience of the patient. Empathy does not validate the nurse's expertise or perceptions, nor does it validate the nurse-patient relationship.

Answer to Question 2

Answer: 4
Explanation: When evaluating the patient's response to an intervention, the nurse validates to ensure the patient's perception of the response is communicated. Affect refers to a patient's emotional tone, not a method of validation. The patient's need for further intervention will be determined when the response is evaluated, not during validation of the patient's response. Clarification is used when a message is not clear.