Exam 8: Learning to Communicate Professionally

Which skill is most important for a nurse preparing to work in the psychiatric setting?

During an interview with a depressed patient, the nurse sits with folded arms and fidgets when long silences occur.When the patient expresses hopelessness about getting better, the nurse replies, "You will feel better when your medication takes effect." This interaction demonstrates what characteristic regarding therapeutic response by the nurse?

A patient diagnosed with schizophrenia, paranoid type, frequently gets up, and walks away during interactions with a nurse.How can the nurse best increase the patient's comfort level and so encourage communication?

Which statement, made by a new psychiatric nurse, best describes the therapeutic use of self?