Deck 13: Straightforward Communication: Instructors, Coworkers, and Patients

Question 1

On which statement about cultural differences could the nurse rely when implementing patient care?

A) The loud voices of a group of African Americans signal anger.
B) Native Americans relate best to nurses who make frequent direct eye contact.
C) Mexican Americans of the same sex rarely touch one another.
D) Asian American patients may use less eye contact than African American patients.

Answer 1

Asian American patients may use less eye contact than African American patients.

Question 2

To communicate interest and caring to a patient of the majority culture, the nurse should

A) call the patient on days off.
B) keep conversation on a social level.
C) direct the patient to make a list of all problems.
D) make eye contact and encourage the patient to communicate.

Answer 2

make eye contact and encourage the patient to communicate.

Question 3

A patient who has had knee surgery tells the nursing student that he is "doing fine" and "doesn't need anything." The student observes that he winces when moving in bed and that he has a worried frown. The student asks him to rate his pain on a numerical scale and then encourages him to take his prn analgesic. Which is true of this interaction?

A) The nursing student recognized that the patient's verbal and nonverbal messages were incongruent.
B) The nursing student understood that verbal messages outrank nonverbal messages in importance.
C) The nursing student realized that affective communication is of lesser importance.
D) The nursing student used one-way communication effectively.

Answer 3

The nursing student recognized that the patient's verbal and nonverbal messages were incongruent.

Question 4

Two-way communication differs from one-way communication, because with one-way communication

A) the impact is positive.
B) the receiver contributes as much as the sender.
C) no feedback is expected.
D) body language does not affect the receiver.

Question 5

A patient states, "I don't seem to be getting my strength back." The nurse replies, "Don't worry. You are coming along just fine." This response is an example of

A) probing.
B) false reassurance.
C) disagreeing.
D) active listening.

Question 6

The nurse demonstrates commitment to the patient by

A) delivering nursing care skillfully.
B) using humor to poke fun at the patient.
C) giving advice to solve the patient's problems.
D) talking about what the nurse plans to do after work.

Question 7

Which option provides information that allows an individual to identify the patient's affective state?

A) Mr. B states that he is in considerable pain, about 8 on a scale of 1 to 10. He characterizes the pain as stabbing.
B) Mrs. T's facial expression looks sad. Tears well up in her eyes, and the corners of her mouth droop.
C) Miss L lies still with her eyes shut, her arms held rigidly at her side, and her fists clenched.
D) Mr. A listens carefully to the directions for blood glucose monitoring and then asks several relevant questions.

Question 8

A patient states, "I'm really turned off when the doctor hurries out of here." The nurse responds, "You're feeling upset with your doctor because he doesn't spend enough time with you." This interaction demonstrates

A) summarizing.
B) validating.
C) clarifying.
D) reflecting.

Question 9

The nurse enters a patient's room and asks, "How are things today?" The nurse has used

A) an open-ended question.
B) a focused question.
C) probing.
D) paraphrasing.

Question 10

A nurse tells a patient, "There you are with varicose veins, sitting with your legs crossed at the knee. How often have we told you not to do that?" This communication demonstrates

A) giving advice.
B) probing.
C) chiding.
D) requesting information.

Question 11

Which statement is true regarding open-ended, closed-ended, and focused questions?

A) Open-ended questions always achieve their purpose.
B) Closed-ended and focused questions are used to get specific information.
C) Closed-ended questions are used primarily with children and the elderly.
D) Focused questions are more useful when communicating with men.

Question 12

The patient states, "My pain is awful!" The response that illustrates the use of focusing is:

A) "On a scale of 1 to 10, tell me the number that represents your level of pain."
B) "I am not sure I understand what you're telling me."
C) "You seem to be in considerable pain."
D) "Can you handle the pain you're having?"

Question 13

A patient asks a practical/vocational nursing student the following questions. To which option should the nurse respond, "I don't know the answer to your question, but I'll find someone who will discuss it with you"?

A) "What do you mean when you say 'vital signs'?"
B) "May I get out of bed?"
C) "How do I call a nurse when I need one?"
D) "How much longer do I have to live?"

Question 14

A trusting relationship with a patient can be fostered by

A) introducing oneself and stating one's role.
B) identifying the patient by room number.
C) seeing the patient every 5 to 7 minutes.
D) making up answers when one does not know the answer.

Question 15

The patient asks, "What is an IVAC thermometer?" The nurse replies, "It is a heat-sensitive probe inserted into the sublingual area or rectal orifice. Heat transmission proceeds via an electrical system to a control center that interprets the temperature and displays it." This reply can be analyzed as

A) one-way communication.
B) active listening.
C) unnecessary use of jargon.
D) displaying sensitivity.

Question 16

On which statement about life span communication differences can the nurse rely when implementing patient care?

A) Children from birth to age 2 are most soothed by a high-pitched tone of voice.
B) Preschool children tend to respond well to a reasoning approach.
C) It is important to try to communicate with teens using their slang.
D) Elderly people hear lower frequency sounds more easily than high-pitched sounds.

Question 17

Characteristics of one-way communication include all of the following except

A) it is sender controlled.
B) receiver feedback is not expected.
C) it always has negative value.
D) it is useful to give commands.

Question 18

A patient states, "This is my fourth miscarriage." A response by the nurse that demonstrates active listening would be

A) "Having another miscarriage must be hard to accept."
B) "This is nature's way. You can be glad it happened."
C) "How lucky to have lost the baby so early in your pregnancy."
D) "I've had two miscarriages, so I know how you must feel."

Question 19

A patient is crying. The nurse can correctly conclude from this type of nonverbal communication that the

A) patient is sad.
B) tears reflect happiness.
C) patient is in pain.
D) situation needs clarification.

Question 20

The nurse who demonstrates empathy

A) feels sorry for the patient's situation.
B) understands the patient's thoughts but is unaware of his or her feelings and emotions.
C) understands and appreciates the patient's feelings while remaining objective.
D) attempts to remove physical and emotional pain and fix all of the patient's problems.

Question 21

A patient states, "My chest incision hurts. I can't walk because of the pain." The nurse responds, "You've been unable to walk because of incisional pain." The nurse's response is an example of which active listening behavior?

A) Restating
B) Reflection
C) Clarification
D) Paraphrasing

Question 22

Types of communication include which of the following? (Select all that apply.)

A) Verbal communication
B) Affective communication
C) Nonverbal communication
D) Symptomatic communication

Question 23

The practical/vocational nursing student is assigned the task of helping a new mother and father learn to bathe their newborn. The instructor asks the student how the session went, and the student replies, "The mother seemed to understand everything. She smiled and nodded at everything I told her. The father watched and didn't ask any questions." The instructor comments, "Without validation, you can't be sure." Which statements contributed to the instructor's knowledge on which to base the comment to the student? (Select all that apply.)

A) Women nod to show that they are listening.
B) Men ask fewer questions than women.
C) Women smile to establish rapport.
D) Nonverbal communication is a good indicator of understanding.

Question 24

A nurse does not make eye contact when talking with others. What are possible explanations for this behavior? (Select all that apply.)

A) The nurse is self-conscious and nervous.
B) The nurse has low self-worth.
C) The nurse's behavior is culturally determined.
D) The hospital forbids eye contact.

Question 25

A patient states, "I don't want to die from cancer." The nurse responds, "I heard you say you don't want to die from cancer." The nurse's response is an example of which active listening behavior?

A) Silence
B) Validation
C) Summarizing
D) Minimal encouraging

Question 26

A patient tells the nurse, "I don't know what to expect in the hospital. Everybody speaks medical-talk. Nobody tells me if I'm getting better or worse. Doctors march in and poke and prod me without asking my permission. And another thing, I can't stay here forever; I have to look after my elderly mother." From these data the nurse can correctly determine that the patient is

A) experiencing a difficult transition to the patient role.
B) unnecessarily sensitive to loss of independence.
C) excessively fearful of unknown aspects of hospitalization.
D) suffering from sensory overload.