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NCLEX · Therapeutic Communication

A nurse is providing therapeutic communication to an anxious pre-operative client. Which statement best demonstrates therapeutic technique?

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 what specifically is making you feel anxious about the surgery'

  1. A 'Thousands of people have this surgery every year without problems'
  2. B 'Tell me what specifically is making you feel anxious about the surgery'
  3. C 'Let me explain the statistics on surgical outcomes'
  4. D 'Don't worry — everything will be fine'

Why this is the answer

THERAPEUTIC COMMUNICATION — ANXIETY EXPLORATION:

Best response: 'Tell me what specifically is making you feel anxious...'.

Reasons: Open-ended — invites the client to elaborate rather than answer yes/no; Client-specific — focuses on THIS client's concern, not generalisations; Actionable — identifies the specific fear, which can then be addressed (fear of anaesthesia, pain, outcomes, separation from family?); Non-dismissive — does not minimise the anxiety; WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE OTHERS: 'Don't worry, everything will be fine' = false reassurance; 'Thousands have it without problems' = minimising statistics, doesn't address the individual; 'Explaining statistics' = providing information before understanding the specific concern.

Therapeutic principle: Gather before giving — understand the client's specific concern before providing information; targeted reassurance after understanding the fear is more effective than generic reassurance before.

Source: NCLEX-RN Psychosocial — Therapeutic Communication, Anxiety Exploration Technique

Practice more questions

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About this topic: Therapeutic Communication

Therapeutic communication questions ask for the nurse's best response — reflecting, clarifying, open-ended, silence — and test the non-therapeutic responses to avoid. This is one of 14 RN: 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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