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NCLEX · Therapeutic Communication

Which of the following is the BEST example of an open-ended question that encourages a client to share more?

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

'How have you been feeling since you came to the unit?'

  1. A 'Do you want to talk or not?'
  2. B 'How have you been feeling since you came to the unit?'
  3. C 'You're doing fine, right?'
  4. D 'Are you feeling sad today?'

Why this is the answer

Open-ended questions invite the client to express thoughts and feelings in their own words rather than giving a one-word answer, which is a core therapeutic communication technique. 'How have you been feeling since you came to the unit?' cannot be answered with a simple yes or no and encourages elaboration. By contrast, 'Are you feeling sad today?' and 'You're doing fine, right?' are closed-ended or leading, and 'Do you want to talk or not?' is closed and can feel confrontational. Using open-ended questions helps build rapport and gather meaningful information. (This reflects general communication principles; verify specifics against current NCLEX prep materials.)
Source: NCLEX-PN Psychosocial — Therapeutic Communication, Open-Ended Questions

Practice more questions

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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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