A nurse working in a detoxification unit is admitting a client for alcohol withdrawal. The client's spouse states, "I don't know why I don't get out of this rotten situation

Question

" Which of the following would be the therapeutic response by the nurse? 1. "This is not a good time to make that decision."
2. "What would your spouse think about your decision?"
3. "What aspects of this situation are the most difficult for you?"
4. "You seem to have a good grip on this situation. You probably should get out."

Answer 1

3

Rationale: The most helpful response is one that encourages the client to explore the problem and problem-solve. "What would your spouse think about your decision?" disregards the client's concern and focuses instead on the reaction of the alcoholic spouse. The nurse should neither agree ("You seem to have a good grip on this situation. You probably should get out.") nor disa-gree ("This is not a good time to make that decision.") with the client. Giving advice implies that the nurse knows what is best and can also foster dependency.