The nurse is conducting a sexual history with a client who is scheduled for cardiac surgery. The client tells the nurse that he is nervous about resuming sexual activities

Which of the following responses by the nurse indicates that he or she is using therapeutic communication with the cli-ent? a. "You can have sexual intercourse after your surgery, but there are serious risks."
b. "Your partner will be nervous about resuming sexual activities, but that is nor-mal."
c. "Don't worry. In about two months you will be able to return to your normal sexual patterns."
d. "You are expressing a very normal concern—perhaps we could discuss your feelings further."


D
Open communication and positive self-esteem are essential factors in effectively resolving con-cerns.
The statement "You can have sexual intercourse after your surgery, but there are serious risks" may only worry the client more.
The statement "Your partner will be nervous about resuming sexual activities, but that is normal" does not focus on the client and therefore does not encourage the client to express his concerns.
Telling the client not to worry is nontherapeutic. At this point, not even knowing the outcome of the surgery, the nurse should not predict resumption of sexual activity for the client. Furthermore, this response does not encourage the client to communicate his feelings.

Nursing

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