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NCLEX · Therapeutic Communication

A client says, 'I'm so worried about my surgery tomorrow.' Which response by the nurse is most therapeutic?

Reviewed by Jordan Morley, Editorial Lead at 247SimpleTests. Written by the 247SimpleTests Editorial Team from the official source material cited on every question.

Correct answer

'Tell me more about what is concerning you.'

  1. A 'Tell me more about what is concerning you.'
  2. B 'Let's talk about something else.'
  3. C 'You shouldn't feel that way.'
  4. D 'Don't worry, everything will be fine.'
  5. 'Everyone gets nervous; it's nothing.'

Why this is the answer

The most therapeutic response is 'TELL ME MORE about what is concerning you' — an OPEN-ENDED statement that ENCOURAGES the client to express feelings and explores their concerns. NCLEX-PN psychosocial/therapeutic communication.

Therapeutic techniques: open-ended questions, active listening, reflection, clarification, silence, acknowledging feelings. NON-THERAPEUTIC (avoid): false reassurance ('everything will be fine' — dismisses feelings and may be untrue); minimizing ('it's nothing'); giving disapproval ('you shouldn't feel that way'); changing the subject (avoids the client's concern). Exploring and validating the client's feelings, rather than dismissing them, builds trust and addresses the real concern. Identifying therapeutic vs non-therapeutic communication is heavily tested.

Source: NCLEX-PN Psychosocial — Therapeutic Communication

Practice more questions

This question is from our NCLEX Practice Tests practice test. Take the full practice test to test your knowledge across all Therapeutic Communication and other topics.

Take the PN: Psychosocial Integrity practice test →

About this topic: Therapeutic Communication

Therapeutic communication questions ask for the best response to a client — open-ended, reflective, non-judgemental — and the blocks to avoid: false reassurance, giving advice, changing the subject, why questions. This is one of 15 PN: Psychosocial Integrity questions on therapeutic communication, each with a full explanation on a single study page.

New to this exam? Our NCLEX exam guide explains the format, scoring, and how to prepare.

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