The nurse interviews a preoperative patient who evades all questions about medications taken at home. Which is the best response for the nurse to use to facilitate safe, effective nursing care?
a. "I feel that you're uneasy about discussing medications.".
b. "Why don't you want to talk about your medications?"
c. "You're avoiding me; so you must have a big secret.".
d. "Don't you think that it's important to discuss medications?"
A
The best response is to validate the nurse's perception of the patient's behavior in a nonthreaten-ing manner in order to elicit more information from the patient. The nurse avoids asking a "why" question because it may make a patient feel defensive. Stating that the patient is avoiding the question has the potential to be beneficial for interviewing, but concluding that the patient has a secret may be perceived as an accusation, sarcasm, or humor and lacks professionalism. It is un-likely to elicit more information. Asking a question that implies a position that the patient hasn't advocated (you don't think medications are important to discuss) is judgmental and unlikely to uncover the patient's true concerns.
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