A nurse is caring for a client who has recently experienced the loss of a close family member. The client states, 'I feel guilty because I think I could have done more for them while they were alive.' What is the most appropriate initial response by the nurse?
Encourage the client to express their feelings about the guilt they’re experiencing.
Suggest a distracting activity to help take their mind off their guilt.
Minimize the client’s feelings by reassuring them that guilt is normal.
Provide information about the stages of grief to help address their guilt.
The correct answer is to encourage the client to express their feelings about the guilt they’re experiencing. Actively listening and providing a safe space for the client to verbalize their emotions is a key part of therapeutic communication and grief support. Validating feelings helps the client begin to process their grief in a healthy manner. While providing information about grief stages or suggesting distractions may be helpful in later interventions, these responses are not the most effective initial actions when addressing the emotional intensity of guilt. Minimizing their guilt without exploration of their emotions disregards the client’s need for validation and recognition of their feelings.
Ask Bash
Bash is our AI bot, trained to help you pass your exam. AI Generated Content may display inaccurate information, always double-check anything important.
What is therapeutic communication?
Open an interactive chat with Bash
Why is it important to encourage clients to express their feelings?
Open an interactive chat with Bash
What are some common stages of grief?
Open an interactive chat with Bash
NCLEX RN
Psychosocial Integrity
Your Score:
Report Issue
Bash, the Crucial Exams Chat Bot
AI Bot
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Nursing and Medical Assistants Package Join Premium for Full Access