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.
You might also like to view...
A patient is recovering in the CCU following a myocardial infarction 24 hours ago. She is now pain free and is beginning to eat solid foods. To prevent the Valsalva maneuver from occurring in this patient, what intervention should the nurse take?
A) Administer fibrinolytic therapy. B) Administer a stool softener. C) Administer sublingual nitroglycerin. D) Administer aspirin.
When teaching the new mother about the composition of breast milk, the nurse explains that the fat content can range from 30 to 50 grams/liter
Which factors affect the fat content of breast milk? Note: Credit will be given only if all correct choices and no incorrect choices are selected. Select all that apply. 1. Maternal parity 2. Duration of pregnancy 3. Stage of lactation 4. Time of day 5. Vitamin C intake
Which assistive device would most benefit a patient with a neuromuscular weakness?
a. Large-print labels b. A syringe with a magnifier c. Screw-top medication containers d. Color-coded tops for medications
Sam, a 50-year-old veteran with a traumatic brain injury (TBI), was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. His sister asks the nurse, "How can this be an accurate diagnosis? There is no incidence of this in our family."
Which of these teaching points is accurate for the nurse to share with Sam's sister? A. Alzheimer's disease doesn't tend to run in families. B. Alzheimer's disease is often misdiagnosed in patients with PTSD. C. Alzheimer's disease is more common in patients with TBI than in the general population. D. Alzheimer's disease in patients with TBI is not like traditional Alzheimer's disease.