ISPN & CGFNS Therapeutic Communication in Psychiatric Nursing 2

Question 1

When a nurse sits quietly with a grieving patient without attempting to fill the silence, this illustrates:

Accepted Answer

Therapeutic use of silence

Answer

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:

Accepted Answer

Restating

Answer

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'?

Accepted Answer

I have some time available if you would like to talk.

Answer

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:

Accepted Answer

Giving broad openings

Answer

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:

Accepted Answer

Making observations

Answer

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.

ISPN & CGFNS Practice Test

ISPN & CGFNS Practice Test

ISPN & CGFNS Therapeutic Communication in Psychiatric Nursing 2