During a visit to the home of a client newly diagnosed with diabetes the nurse notes that the client constantly answers the cell phone and has conversations with those callers, which interrupts teaching. The client apologizes after each call

Question

What action should the nurse take?
1. Request that the client not answer the cell phone.
2. Leave some pamphlets for the client to read.
3. Have the client repeat back the information the nurse has given.
4. Ask the client if another time would be better to complete this teaching.

Answer 1

Answer: 4
Explanation: 4. Asking the client if there is a better time to do this teaching subtly conveys to the client that the calls are distracting and also gives the client control over the timing of the teaching. Distractions such as continuous calls can be frustrating to the nurse and can impede teaching. Requesting the client not to answer the cell phone is appropriate but may anger the client, which will impede any learning. Leaving pamphlets for the client to read may not impart the necessary information the client needs to understand diabetes. Having the client repeat back the information the nurse has given would provide an understanding to the nurse of what has been taught but may also give the impression to the client that the nurse feels the client has not understood the teaching.