1. The home care nurse is visiting an older client whose spouse died 6 months ago. Which behavior by the client indicates ineffective coping?

1. Neglecting personal grooming

2. Looking at old snapshots of family

3. Participating in a senior citizens' program

4. Visiting their spouse's grave once a month

1. Neglecting personal grooming

2. A client with a diagnosis of major depression who has attempted suicide says to the nurse, "I should have died. I've always been a failure. Nothing ever goes right for me." Which response demonstrates therapeutic communication?

1. "You have everything to live for."

2. "Why do you see yourself as a failure?"

3. "Feeling like this is all part of being depressed."

4. "You've been feeling like a failure for a while?"

4. "You've been feeling like a failure for a while?"

3. When the mental health nurse visits a client at home, the client states, "I haven't slept at all the last couple of nights." Which response by the nurse illustrates a therapeutic communication response to this client?

1. "I see."

2. "Really?"

3. "You're having difficulty sleeping?"

4. "Sometimes, I have trouble sleeping too."

3. "You're having difficulty sleeping?"

4. A client experiencing disturbed thought processes believes that his food is being poisoned. Which communication technique should the nurse use to encourage the client to eat?

1. Using open-ended questions and silence

2. Sharing personal preference regarding food choices

3. Documenting reasons why the client does not want to eat

4. Offering opinions about the necessity of adequate nutrition

1. Using open-ended questions and silence