{"id":13243,"date":"2020-06-25T03:19:01","date_gmt":"2020-06-25T08:19:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/blog\/prep\/?p=13243"},"modified":"2020-09-11T20:39:46","modified_gmt":"2020-09-11T20:39:46","slug":"nclex-question-strategies-communication-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/nclex\/nclex-question-strategies-communication-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"NCLEX Question Strategies: Communication Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Communication is emphasized on the NCLEX-RN\u00ae exam because it is critical to your success as a beginning practitioner. Therapeutic communication means listening to and understanding the client while promoting clarification and insight. It enables the nurse to form a working relationship with both the client and the health care team, using both verbal and nonverbal communication. Remember that nonverbal communication is the most accurate reflection of attitude. Therapeutic responses include the following:<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n<div class='avia-data-table-wrap avia_responsive_table'><table  class='avia-table avia-data-table avia-table-1  avia-builder-el-0  el_before_av_image  avia-builder-el-first  avia_pricing_default '  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Table\" ><tbody><tr class='avia-heading-row'><th class=''>Response<\/th><th class=''>Goal\/Purpose<\/th><\/tr><tr class=''><td class=''>Using silence<\/td><td class=''>Allows the client time to think and reflect; conveys acceptance. Allows the client to take the lead in conversation.<\/td><\/tr><tr class=''><td class=''>Using general leads or broad opening<\/td><td class=''>Encourages the client to talk. Indicates your interest in the client. Allows the client to choose the subject.<\/td><\/tr><tr class=''><td class=''>Clarification<\/td><td class=''>Encourages recall and details of a particular experience. Encourages description of feelings. Seeks explanation; pinpoints specifics.<\/td><\/tr><tr class=''><td class=''>Reflecting<\/td><td class=''>Paraphrases what client says. Reflects on what client says, especially the feelings conveyed.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><style type='text\/css'>.avia-table-1 td:nth-of-type(1):before { content: 'Response'; } .avia-table-1 td:nth-of-type(2):before { content: 'Goal\/Purpose'; } <\/style><br \/>\nThere are many questions on the NCLEX-RN\u00ae exam that require you to select the correct therapeutic communication response. As with other NCLEX-RN\u00ae exam questions, one of the biggest errors that test takers commit when trying to answer this type of question is to look for the correct answer. Remember, you are selecting the <i>best <\/i>answer from the four possible answers that you are given.<br \/>\nTo select the best answer, you must eliminate answer choices. Let\u2019s look at some different answer choices you can eliminate:<br \/>\n<div  class='avia-image-container  av-styling-    avia-builder-el-1  el_after_av_table  el_before_av_heading  avia-align-center '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"  ><div class='avia-image-container-inner'><div class='avia-image-overlay-wrap'><img class='wp-image-0 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-0 avia_image' src=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/blog\/prep\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/21\/2016\/12\/Screen-Shot-2016-12-12-at-10.40.20-AM.png\" alt='' title=''   itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\"  \/><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\n<div  style='padding-bottom:10px; ' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h2  blockquote modern-quote  avia-builder-el-2  el_after_av_image  el_before_av_heading  '><h2 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >NCLEX QUESTION STRATEGY: <em>Do Not Worry<\/em> Answers<\/h2><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\nEliminate answer choices that offer false reassurance. These type of responses discourage communication between the nurse and the client by not allowing the client to explore his or her own ideas and feelings. False reassurance also discounts what the client is feeling. Examples include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cIt\u2019s going to be OK.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cDon\u2019t worry. Your doctors will do everything necessary for your care.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><div  style='padding-bottom:10px; ' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h2  blockquote modern-quote  avia-builder-el-3  el_after_av_heading  el_before_av_heading  '><h2 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >NCLEX QUESTION STRATEGY: <em>Let\u2019s Explore<\/em> Answers<\/h2><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\nAnother incorrect answer choice that many graduate nurses select is the choice that includes the word \u201cexplore.\u201d On the NCLEX-RN\u00ae exam, avoid being a junior psychiatrist. It isn\u2019t the nurse\u2019s role to delve into the reasons why the client is feeling a particular way. The client must be allowed to verbalize the fact that he or she is sad, angry, fearful, or overwhelmed. Examples include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cLet\u2019s talk about why you didn\u2019t take your medication.\u201d \u0082<\/li>\n<li>\u201cTell me why you really injured yourself.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><div  style='padding-bottom:10px; ' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h2  blockquote modern-quote  avia-builder-el-4  el_after_av_heading  el_before_av_heading  '><h2 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >NCLEX QUESTION STRATEGY: <em>Why<\/em> Questions<\/h2><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\n<i><\/i>Eliminate answer choices that include \u201cwhy\u201d questions: ones that seek reasons or justification. \u201cWhy\u201d questions imply disapproval of the client, who may become defensive. A \u201cwhy\u201d question can come in many forms, and need not always begin with \u201cwhy.\u201d Any response that puts the client on the defensive is nontherapeutic and therefore incorrect. Examples include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cWhat makes you think that?\u201d \u0082<\/li>\n<li>\u201cWhy do you feel this way?\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><div  style='padding-bottom:10px; ' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h2  blockquote modern-quote  avia-builder-el-5  el_after_av_heading  el_before_av_heading  '><h2 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >NCLEX QUESTION STRATEGY: Authoritarian Answers<\/h2><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\nEliminate answer choices in which the nurse is telling the client what to do without regard for the client\u2019s desires or feelings. Examples include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Insisting that the client follow unit rules<\/li>\n<li>Insisting that the client do what you command immediately<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><div  style='padding-bottom:10px; ' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h2  blockquote modern-quote  avia-builder-el-6  el_after_av_heading  el_before_av_heading  '><h2 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >NCLEX QUESTION STRATEGY: Nurse-Focused Answers<\/h2><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\nEliminate answer choices in which the focus of the comment is on the nurse. Be careful, because these answer choices may sound very empathetic. The focus of your communication should always be on the client. Examples include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cThat happened to me once.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cI know from experience this is hard for you.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><div  style='padding-bottom:10px; ' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h2  blockquote modern-quote  avia-builder-el-7  el_after_av_heading  el_before_av_heading  '><h2 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >NCLEX QUESTION STRATEGY: Closed-Ended Questions<\/h2><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\nEliminate answer choices that include closed-ended questions that can be answered with the words yes, no, or another monosyllabic response. Closed- ended questions discourage the client from sharing thoughts and feelings. Examples include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cAre you feeling guilty about what happened?\u201d \u0082<\/li>\n<li>\u201cHow many children do you have?\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Eliminating these types of non-therapeutic responses that appear as answer choices is an effective strategy when answering therapeutic communication questions. Don\u2019t simply look for the specific words that you see here; you may need to \u201ctranslate\u201d the answer choices into the above errors of therapeutic communication.<br \/>\nSo how do you select the correct response? By choosing from the answer choices that are left! The correct response will usually contain one or both of the following elements:<br \/>\n<div  style='padding-bottom:10px; ' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h2  blockquote modern-quote  avia-builder-el-8  el_after_av_heading  el_before_av_heading  '><h2 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >NCLEX QUESTION STRATEGY: Gives Correct Information<\/h2><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\nOffering information encourages further communication from the client. Examples of giving correct information include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cYou are experiencing acute alcohol withdrawal; you may see and feel things that aren\u2019t real.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cThere are many reasons for memory loss; tell me more about what you have noticed.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><div  style='padding-bottom:10px; ' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h4  blockquote modern-quote  avia-builder-el-9  el_after_av_heading  el_before_av_heading  '><h4 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >Is empathetic and reflects the client\u2019s feelings<\/h4><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\n<i>Empathy <\/i>is the ability to perceive what another person experiences using that person\u2019s frame of reference. <i>Reflection <\/i>communicates to the client that the nurse has heard and understands what the client is trying to communicate. When reflecting feelings, the nurse focuses on the feelings and not the content of what is said. The following are examples of empathetic, reflective statements include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cI can see that you are frightened about being here.\u201d \u0082<\/li>\n<li>\u201cYou seem very upset. Tell me how you\u2019re feeling.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Let\u2019s practice therapeutic communication with a few exam-style questions.<br \/>\n<div  style='padding-bottom:10px; ' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h3    avia-builder-el-10  el_after_av_heading  el_before_av_promobox  '><h3 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >Practice Question 1<\/h3><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\n\t<div   class='av_promobox  avia-button-no   avia-builder-el-11  el_after_av_heading  el_before_av_heading '>\t\t<div class='avia-promocontent'><p>\nA client is admitted to the emergency room with a diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction. The client tells the nurse, \u201cI\u2019m scared. I think I\u2019m going to die.\u201d Which of the following responses by the nurse would be\u00a0<i>MOST\u00a0<\/i>appropriate?<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>\u201cEverything is going to be fine. We\u2019ll take good care of you.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cI know what you mean. I thought I was having a heart attack once.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cI\u2019ll call your doctor so you can discuss it with him.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cIt\u2019s normal to feel frightened. We\u2019re doing everything we can for you.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>\n<\/div><\/div><br \/>\n<strong><i>Step 1. <\/i>Eliminate incorrect answer choices.<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>This is a \u201cdon\u2019t worry\u201d response. There is no acknowledgment of the client\u2019s fears.<br \/>\nEliminate.<\/li>\n<li>The focus of this response is on the nurse, not the client. Eliminate.<\/li>\n<li>It is within the scope of nursing practice for the nurse to respond to the client\u2019s feelings. Don\u2019t pass the responsibility to the physician. Eliminate.<\/li>\n<li>This answer choice responds to feelings and provides information. Keep it in consideration.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong><i>Step 2. <\/i>Select an answer from the remaining choices.<\/strong><br \/>\nOne answer was not eliminated: (4). This is the correct answer. The nurse is empathetic, acknowledging that the client feels frightened, and provides information.<br \/>\n<div  style='padding-bottom:10px; ' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h3    avia-builder-el-12  el_after_av_promobox  el_before_av_promobox  '><h3 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >Practice Question 2<\/h3><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\n\t<div   class='av_promobox  avia-button-no   avia-builder-el-13  el_after_av_heading  el_before_av_sidebar '>\t\t<div class='avia-promocontent'><p>\nA mother is to undergo a breast biopsy. She tells the nurse, \u201cIf lose my breast, I know my husband will no longer find me attractive.\u201d Which of the following responses by the nurse would be\u00a0<i>MOST\u00a0<\/i>appropriate?<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>\u201cYou don\u2019t know if you are going to lose your breast. They are just doing the biopsy now.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cYou should focus on your children. They are young and they need you.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cYou seem to be concerned that your relationship with your husband might change.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cWhy don\u2019t you wait and see what your husband\u2019s reaction is before you get upset.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>\n<\/div><\/div><br \/>\n<strong><i>Step 1. <\/i>Eliminate answer choices.<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>This response gives false reassurance and discounts the client\u2019s feelings. Eliminate it.<\/li>\n<li>This response is authoritarian: the nurse tells the client what to do. Eliminate it.<\/li>\n<li>This response reflects the fears of the client. The response is open-ended and allows the client to express what she is feeling. Keep it in for consideration.<\/li>\n<li>This response dismisses the feelings that the client is experiencing and gives advice. Eliminate it.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong><i>Step 2. <\/i>Select an answer from the remaining choices.<\/strong><br \/>\nYou have eliminated three of the four answer choices. The correct answer is the only answer\u00a0choice remaining, (3).<br \/>\n<div  class='avia-builder-widget-area clearfix  avia-builder-el-14  el_after_av_promobox  avia-builder-el-last '><div id=\"text-78\" class=\"widget clearfix widget_text\">\t\t\t<div class=\"textwidget\"><p><span data-sumome-listbuilder-embed-id=\"ed685fed995ca0b14adea942b9321bfdb4da66714744f69d9ba773e8becb00b9\"><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Communication is emphasized on the NCLEX-RN\u00ae exam because it is critical to your success as a beginning practitioner. Therapeutic communication means listening to and understanding the client while promoting clarification and insight. It enables the nurse to form a working relationship with both the client and the health care team, using both verbal and nonverbal [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26936,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[97],"tags":[125],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13243"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13243"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13243\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38940,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13243\/revisions\/38940"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26936"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13243"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13243"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13243"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}