Deck 2: Communication

Question 1

A patient is admitted for an ambulatory surgery procedure and says to the nurse, "I don't need you to tell me anything. I already looked all of this up on the Internet yesterday." What is the nurse's best response?

A)"Are you sure you learned everything you need to know? You might not have been looking in the right places."
B)"It's good that you are informed, but let's review these topics anyway."
C)"I wouldn't trust all of the sites out there. You can find a lot of misinformation these days."
D)"Since you have already looked everything up, please just sign here that your teaching is done."

Answer 1

"It's good that you are informed, but let's review these topics anyway."

Question 2

Which of the following information must be reviewed between the anesthesiologist and the nurse in the PACU who is assuming care of the patient?

A)Type of anesthesia used as well as any other medications administered
B)Type of pathology involved with surgery
C)Number of sutures needed to close the surgical wound
D)Both A and B

Answer 2

Both A and B

Question 3

A patient has been admitted to the post-surgical unit after having a gastroduodenostomy. The patient has had a total urine output of 36cc in the last four hours. What is the nurse's next intervention?

A)Notify the nursing assistant that the patient needs help with sitting up in bed.
B)Consult the chart to determine if the patient had any urine output during the surgical procedure.
C)Contact the physician to report the output and determine further orders.
D)Do nothing; this is not an abnormal output for this type of surgery.

Answer 3

Contact the physician to report the output and determine further orders.

Question 4

Which of the following are essential aspects of the patient's preoperative checklist for surgery?

A)Patient identification, operative consent, and allergies
B)Patient address and telephone number, chest x-ray results, and urine output
C)Patient insurance information, personal effects, and laboratory results
D)Both A and B

Question 5

All of the following are components of the intraoperative patient care record EXCEPT:

A)Patient skin condition before the procedure
B)Sponge counts before and after surgery
C)Patient teaching regarding incision care and ambulation
D)Patient position on the operating room table

Question 6

A nurse enters the operating room and sees a crying and trembling patient lying on the table. The nurse thinks to themself, "This patient looks anxious." What type of communication is the nurse engaging in?

A)Intrapersonal
B)Interpersonal
C)Selective
D)Public

Question 7

Which of the following actions is most likely to communicate a clear and effective message from the nurse to the patient?

A)Using medical terminology around the patient to instill confidence in the nurse's knowledge.
B)Providing discharge instructions when a patient and their family are packed and waiting to go home.
C)Educating the patient about a hysterectomy upon admission and while in the post-surgical unit.
D)Teaching a patient about caring for their incision site when they are moved into the PACU.

Question 8

A perioperative nurse is providing teaching to a patient about the importance of getting out of bed to use the bathroom. When asked if they understand, the client states, "Yes." In addition to their verbal response, all of the following are indications that the patient truly understands the teaching EXCEPT:

A)The patient nods their head.
B)The patient looks at the nurse.
C)The patient looks at the floor.
D)The patient points to the bathroom.

Question 9

A nurse is aware that a patient in the post-surgical unit is angry and they want to convey a sense of calm. In what nonverbal methods could the nurse communicate this attitude?

A)Remaining by the door after entering the room to give the patient a sense of space.
B)Standing with arms crossed in front of the body to indicate that they can protect themself.
C)Sitting on the edge of the patient's bed to talk with them about their feelings.
D)Standing near the bed with the arms at the sides to indicate that they are approachable.

Question 10

Which of the following statements may provide the most clarity when teaching a patient about postoperative care?

A)"You will need to stay in bed for the first day or so, then tomorrow, we will get you up to walk."
B)"First, you will need to stay in bed until we finish vital signs and ensure you are stable. Once you appear to be clinically stable and you feel like you could get up, we will provide stand-by assistance and help you walk from your room to the water fountain and back."
C)"We'll have you rest today, but tomorrow we'll help you out of bed."
D)"You may want to stay in bed a lot, but getting up to walk is really important, you know?"

Question 11

Which of the following statements would be most appropriate for telling an adult patient that they need gall bladder surgery?

A)"You need to have a laparoscopic cholecystectomy."
B)"Your gall bladder is sick and we're going to make a small hole to get it out, then you will be all better."
C)"Your gall bladder needs to be removed, but we can take it out with a relatively easy process that leaves little scarring."
D)"You don't actually need a gall bladder to live, and taking yours out is a short process."

Question 12

The nurse is charting the patient's response to pain medication they administered one hour ago. Which of the following descriptions should the nurse use?

A)"Pain decreased from an '8' to a '3' on the pain scale, less grimacing and able to move in bed."
B)"Patient states he is comfortable and denies nausea."
C)"Patient tolerated medication well."
D)"No evidence of pain."

Question 13

Which of the following should the nurse say to introduce education topics to a woman who is being admitted for a cesarean section?

A)"I see that you are a smoker. Let's talk about the risks that smoking has on your baby."
B)"What concerns do you have about this procedure? I'll explain what the physician is going to do."
C)"Do you have any questions about breastfeeding after the C-section?"
D)"Do you know what you are going to name your baby?"

Question 14

A patient is being transferred to the PACU and the nurse asks them how they are feeling. The patient states, "I'm having a lot of pain," and grimaces and moans whenever they try to move. What term describes this relationship between verbal and nonverbal communication?

A)Complementing
B)Relating
C)Regulating
D)Repeating

Question 15

Which of the following statements indicates that the nurse is demonstrating perception of the surgical patient's needs surrounding the procedure?

A)"Let me tell you about what we will do for pain control after your surgery."
B)"Are you nervous about this procedure?"
C)"Tell me about your health history. Do you have any heart problems?"
D)"You seem a little anxious. Is there anything you would like to talk about?"

Question 16

What is the ultimate goal of therapeutic communication?

A)To convey pertinent information to the surgeon about the patient's condition.
B)To provide reports between nursing shifts about the patient's activities.
C)To help the nurse plan what they are going to say to the patient.
D)To develop a working partnership between the patient and the nurse.

Question 17

A nurse approaches a patient in the preoperative unit and says, "Good morning, how are you this morning?" What is the purpose of this type of cursory interaction with the patient?

A)It shows the patient that the nurse is approachable, which may lead the patient to disclose more information to the nurse.
B)It conveys a pleasant greeting, which shows the patient the nurse is a nice person.
C)It shows the patient that the nurse has learned good manners.
D)It conveys a message to the patient that the nurse knows how to extract information when necessary.

Question 18

Which of the following actions can the perioperative nurse do to show they are listening when taking a report from another nurse?

A)Focus on writing the information down in front of them, to convey that what the other nurse is saying is important.
B)Cross the legs and sit in a relaxed position to convey a comfortable atmosphere of communication.
C)Make eye contact and nod when the other nurse imparts valuable information.
D)Tap their foot to show the other nurse that they are a fast learner and ready to start their shift.

Question 19

A patient who has just returned from surgery says to the nurse, "I'm hurting so much!" Which of the following responses from the nurse uses focusing to discover the specific information the nurse needs?

A)"You're feeling pain?"
B)"What is hurting you?"
C)"Why do you think you are feeling pain?"
D)"Are you feeling anything else?"

Question 20

A nurse is caring for a patient who needs more pain medicine following a surgical procedure. When they call the physician, the doctor gives them an order over the phone to add another narcotic medication to that which is already scheduled. Which of the following should the nurse do to maintain accuracy when taking a telephone order?

A)Repeat the order back to the physician before hanging up.
B)Ask the physician to state the order a second time to ensure accuracy.
C)Document the order on a piece of paper so the physician can transcribe what they said when they come in.
D)It is never appropriate to take telephone orders for medication changes.

Question 21

All of the following are appropriate statements to include in change of shift reports EXCEPT:

A)"The patient has walked to the bathroom three times today."
B)"He ate half of his dinner and then stopped because he didn't like it."
C)"Her family asks way too many questions."
D)"The patient has a history of depression."

Question 22

Which of the following is an appropriate method of communication with a patient upon an initial meeting?

A)Use the patient's last name or ask to call them by their first name.
B)Ease the tension by sharing a joke.
C)Tell the patient about a similar situation with another patient that had a positive outcome.
D)Both A and B

Question 23

A nurse is caring for a patient who is getting ready for surgery and who works within the healthcare industry as a nurse as well. Which of the following statements are most appropriate when conducting patient teaching about incision care?

A)"Let's start at the beginning. You have an incision because you had surgery yesterday."
B)"Your incision looks clean and dry. I'm going to give you some information, but tell me if you want me to skip this part."
C)"I know you may know this information, but I should tell you anyway, even if it is a review."
D)"You probably know all of this so I won't bother you anymore. Just let me know if you have any questions."

Question 24

What is the meaning of the term 'proxemics'?

A)The proximity of the nursing station to the door of the patient's room
B)The space between the members of a group of people
C)The patient's own personal space
D)The study of the space between people communicating with each other

Question 25

A nurse must perform a surgical scrub on a patient's pelvic area and the patient appears extremely uncomfortable. What can the nurse do to put the client at ease?

A)Perform the scrub underneath a covering to protect the patient's privacy.
B)Tell the patient that the scrub is a necessary part of the procedure and it will be completed soon.
C)Talk about the weather or other common subjects in an attempt to detract attention from the client's discomfort.
D)Say nothing and perform the scrub as quickly as possible to get it over with.

Question 26

Which of the following is a true statement about using silence during the communication process with a patient?

A)Silence gives a dramatic pause when conveying important information.
B)Silence demonstrates that the nurse is prepared to wait for a patient to respond.
C)Silence is usually only appropriate when the patient is under difficult circumstances.
D)Silence that lasts for several minutes helps to put the patient at ease.

Question 27

All of the following are assertiveness skills used in communication EXCEPT:

A)Speaking in a loud voice
B)Defending oneself against criticism
C)Stating a message clearly
D)Avoidance of being manipulated or controlled

Question 28

During shift report on the post-surgical unit, the oncoming nurse says critically, "You didn't get that patient up to walk today? What did you do all day?" Which of the following is the most assertive response from the nurse giving report?

A)"I'm sorry, you're right. He really should have gotten up today."
B)"I don't like how you are talking to me. I work very hard all day, so do not treat me as if I have done nothing."
C)"I realize you are probably irritated, but we get busy during the day, too."
D)"You have no idea what I'm going through right now. Please stop being so mean to me."

Question 29

The perioperative nurse enters the room of a patient who had surgery the day before. The nurse says, "Today we are going to help you sit up in the chair. If you remember, yesterday I mentioned that we would be doing this activity today." What type of communication is this nurse using?

A)Reassuring
B)Summarizing
C)Approving
D)Paraphrasing

Question 30

A patient is having trouble making a decision as to whether they should call their family after the surgery. Which of the following is a true statement about giving an opinion while communicating with others?

A)Giving an opinion differs from making suggestions in that suggestions are made to give patients choices.
B)Giving an opinion helps the client to make a decision during a time that may otherwise be very difficult.
C)Giving an opinion instills the patient's confidence in the nurse that they know how to do their job.
D)Giving an opinion promotes autonomy in the client as they listen to what the nurse has to say.

Question 31

When the nurse expresses their condolences to a family whose son died during a surgical procedure, the patient's father says, "You have no idea what we are going through! This is all this hospital's fault!" Which of the following is the most appropriate action of the nurse?

A)Leave the family to themselves to avoid disturbing them further.
B)Notify the doctor that the family may possibly decide to pursue litigation.
C)Recognize that the family is probably upset and is taking their feelings out on the nurse.
D)Reassure the family that the procedure did not go as planned, but things will eventually get better.

Question 32

The nurse reviews the patient's medical records and diagnostic tests that have been performed during his hospitalization. These actions are involved in what stage of the nursing process?

A)Assessment
B)Implementation
C)Planning
D)Diagnosis

Question 33

Which of the following is an example of a physical barrier that affects communication?

A)Temperature
B)Shortness of breath
C)Obesity
D)Both A and B

Question 34

A nurse is preparing teaching for a patient who is deaf. They consider getting a sign language interpreter, until one of their colleagues tells them they think many deaf people can read lips. The nurse begins the teaching without contacting an interpreter. Which type of communication barrier does this situation reflect?

A)Disapproval
B)Defensiveness
C)Stereotyping
D)Inattentiveness

Question 35

Which of the following are considered nursing interventions for a patient with a diagnosis of impaired social interaction?

A)Consult with a psychologist or counselor who can help the patient identify feelings of inferiority.
B)Help the patient develop assertiveness by reprimanding their family for not showing up on time.
C)Develop a group of other individuals who are also struggling and send the patient to sit in a group environment for therapy.
D)Review nonverbal behaviors with the patient that may suggest hostility or aloofness.

Question 36

Which of the following actions can the nurse do to help a patient who is intubated communicate with others?

A)Avoid giving muscle relaxants or paralytics so the patient is capable of communicating.
B)Provide a message board or paper for the patient to write their ideas or thoughts.
C)Look for cues that indicate the patient has needs that should be met.
D)Both B and C