A widowed patient tells a nurse that the door should be left unlocked because her husband will be coming home soon. Which response by the nurse would be most therapeutic?
a. "You've forgotten that your husband's dead, haven't you?"
b. "Just try to sleep. He won't be home for a very long time yet.".
c. "You must miss him a lot. It almost seems he's here with you.".
d. "Your husband died over 10 years ago. He won't be coming here.".
C
An empathic response is always helpful, as is gentle, diplomatic reorientation. Abrupt confrontation with reality will increase anxiety, but implicitly agreeing that the spouse will come home fosters false hope.
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