The nurse is establishing a therapeutic environment with a newly ...

[kshipps]

The nurse is establishing a therapeutic environment with a newly admitted patient with a severe mental illness. Which statement best demonstrates empathetic communication?
 
  1. I feel really bad that you have this disorder.
  2. You appear upset. Do you want to talk about it?
  3. You appear upset. Why do you feel this way?
  4. Many people have this disorder. You will feel better in no time.

Question 2

The psychiatric-mental health novice nurse asks What is mental health? Which qualities will her superior include when describing mental health? Select all that apply.
 
  1. The ability to give and receive love
  2. Having a sense of purpose in life
  3. The ability to make important decisions
  4. The ability to experience emotions
  5. The ability to give and receive criticism

[nhea]

Answer to Question 1

Answer: 2
Explanation: Empathy is sensing the perceptions or feelings of an individual and one's relationship to the individual's situations and experiences (feeling what the other person is feeling), and communicating and validating or adjusting them based on feedback from that person. Empathy is an important aspect of therapeutic communication. The statement, You appear upset. Do you want to talk about it? is the best example of empathetic communication because the nurse is perceiving and validating the patient's feelings. Telling the patient that the nurse feels bad for the patient is expressing sympathy, not empathy. Asking why the patient feels the way that he or she does is not validating the patient's feelings. The nurse should not tell the patient that many people have the same disorder as the patient, as this does not validate the patient's feelings or experience.

Answer to Question 2

Answer: 1, 2, 3
Explanation: How each nurse views the concepts of health and mental health significantly impacts how he or she understands, relates to the world, and performs his or her role as nurse. Mental health is concept that is often difficult to define. Qualities often mentioned include the ability to give and receive love, having a sense of purpose in life, and the ability to make important decisions in one's own life. Mental health is typically defined as not simply the ability to experience emotions; it is the ability to experience these emotions without distress. While the ability to give and receive criticism is typically considered a healthy personality trait, this characteristic is not typically used when describing mental health.