ISPN & CGFNS Therapeutic Communication in Psychiatric Nursing 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When a nurse sits quietly with a grieving patient without attempting to fill the silence, this illustrates:
- Passive disengagement from the patient
- Therapeutic use of silence (Correct answer)
- Social withdrawal by the nurse
- Avoidant communication style
Correct answer: Therapeutic use of silence
Therapeutic use of silence allows the patient time to process emotions and communicate at their own pace while the nurse's presence conveys support.
Question 2: A patient says 'I've been feeling really anxious about everything lately.' The nurse responds, 'You've been feeling a lot of anxiety lately.' This is an example of:
- Clarification
- Summarizing
- Restating (Correct answer)
- Reflection of feeling
Correct answer: Restating
Restating involves repeating back the patient's key words to acknowledge what was said and invite the patient to continue elaborating.
Question 3: Which statement by the nurse is an example of 'offering self'?
- I'll have the doctor come to see you right away.
- I have some time available if you would like to talk. (Correct answer)
- The social worker can help you work through that.
- Let me review your treatment plan for you.
Correct answer: I have some time available if you would like to talk.
Offering self means making one's personal presence available as a therapeutic resource, communicating genuine willingness to be with the patient.
Question 4: The nurse asks 'What would you like to focus on today?' at the start of a session. This technique is called:
- Giving broad openings (Correct answer)
- Confrontation
- Exploring
- Giving information
Correct answer: Giving broad openings
Giving broad openings invites the patient to set the agenda for the conversation, empowering them to direct discussion toward their most pressing concerns.
Question 5: A nurse notes that a patient looks away and becomes quiet whenever family is mentioned. The nurse says 'I notice you seem uncomfortable when we talk about your family.' This is an example of:
- Confrontation
- Making observations (Correct answer)
- Interpreting behavior
- Voicing doubt
Correct answer: Making observations
Making observations involves describing what the nurse has noticed about the patient's behavior or affect without interpreting it, inviting the patient to explore its meaning.
Question 6: Which of the following is a closed-ended question that limits therapeutic communication?
- What does your depression feel like for you?
- How has your week been?
- Did you sleep last night? (Correct answer)
- What brings you to the hospital today?
Correct answer: Did you sleep last night?
'Did you sleep last night?' is a closed-ended question answerable with yes or no, limiting the patient's opportunity to express their full experience.
Question 7: Summarizing in therapeutic communication is MOST useful for:
- Gathering new information from the patient
- Providing closure and reviewing key themes at the end of a session (Correct answer)
- Encouraging the patient to explore a specific topic in depth
- Redirecting the patient away from distressing content
Correct answer: Providing closure and reviewing key themes at the end of a session
Summarizing reviews the main themes of a conversation to provide closure, confirm mutual understanding, and help the patient reflect on what was discussed.
ISPN & CGFNS Therapeutic Communication in Psychiatric Nursing 2
When a nurse sits quietly with a grieving patient without attempting to fill the silence, this illustrates: