CELBAN Professional Etiquette and Communication 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient appears anxious before a procedure. Which therapeutic communication technique is MOST appropriate to use first?
- Give detailed statistics about procedure risks
- Use open-ended questions to invite the patient to express concerns (Correct answer)
- Reassure the patient by saying 'Everything will be fine'
- Redirect the conversation to the procedure steps
Correct answer: Use open-ended questions to invite the patient to express concerns
Open-ended questions encourage patients to verbalize fears, allowing the nurse to address specific concerns rather than making empty reassurances.
Question 2: When documenting a patient's report of pain, a nurse should record:
- 'Patient is in severe pain and appears dramatic'
- 'Patient states pain is 8/10, describes it as stabbing in the right lower abdomen' (Correct answer)
- 'Patient complaining of abdominal pain — likely GI issue'
- 'Pain noted; analgesic administered'
Correct answer: 'Patient states pain is 8/10, describes it as stabbing in the right lower abdomen'
Objective documentation uses the patient's own words and specific measurable details without interpretation or bias.
Question 3: A colleague gives you a verbal medication order over the phone. What is the safest communication practice?
- Write it down and administer it immediately
- Read back the complete order to the prescriber for confirmation (Correct answer)
- Ask another nurse to verify it before acting
- Refuse all verbal orders as they are not permitted
Correct answer: Read back the complete order to the prescriber for confirmation
Read-back verification is the standard safety protocol to confirm verbal and telephone orders and prevent medication errors.
Question 4: During a shift handover, which information is MOST critical to communicate to the oncoming nurse?
- The patient's preferred meal choices
- Recent changes in the patient's condition and outstanding tasks (Correct answer)
- The patient's family members' phone numbers
- The patient's previous admissions from five years ago
Correct answer: Recent changes in the patient's condition and outstanding tasks
Handover must prioritize current status changes and pending actions to ensure continuity of safe care.
Question 5: A patient uses medical jargon they clearly misunderstand, believing 'hypertension' means being overly nervous. How should the nurse respond?
- Correct the patient sharply to prevent future errors
- Ignore it since the patient is not a medical professional
- Gently clarify the accurate meaning in plain language (Correct answer)
- Document the misunderstanding and inform the physician only
Correct answer: Gently clarify the accurate meaning in plain language
Nurses must correct health literacy gaps respectfully using plain language to ensure informed consent and self-management.
Question 6: When a patient refuses to take their prescribed medication, the nurse's first action should be to:
- Crush the medication and add it to the patient's food
- Document the refusal and notify the physician without further discussion
- Explore the reason for refusal and provide relevant education (Correct answer)
- Contact the patient's family to convince them
Correct answer: Explore the reason for refusal and provide relevant education
Exploring the reason for refusal respects patient autonomy and may reveal addressable misunderstandings or side-effect concerns.
Question 7: Which statement BEST demonstrates active listening during a patient interview?
- 'I understand exactly what you mean — the same thing happened to my friend.'
- 'So what you're telling me is that the pain worsens after eating — is that correct?' (Correct answer)
- 'Let me stop you there — I need to check your vitals first.'
- 'Don't worry, most patients feel that way.'
Correct answer: 'So what you're telling me is that the pain worsens after eating — is that correct?'
Paraphrasing and seeking confirmation shows the nurse has heard and understood the patient's specific message.
CELBAN Professional Etiquette and Communication 2
A patient appears anxious before a procedure.
Which therapeutic communication technique is MOST appropriate to use first?