A lack of true understanding can often be misread by the nurse as noncompliance. Which of the following statements demonstrate effective questioning methods to assess a patient's understanding?
a. "Do you take your heart medication every morning?"
b. "Can you tell me what you know about your different heart medications?"
c. "Do you take all your medications?"
d. "Do you ever miss taking your medication?"
B
Open-ended questions provide the nurse an opportunity to assess actual knowledge gaps rather than assume knowledge by obtaining a "yes" or "no" response. These types of questions also assist the patient and family to tell their story of the illness and communicate their perceptions of the experience. Questions that elicit only a "yes" or "no" response close off communication and do not provide for an interactive teaching–learning session.
You might also like to view...
When making a diagnosis using NANDA, which of the following provides support for the diagnostic label you choose?
1) Etiology 2) Related factors 3) Diagnostic label 4) Defining characteristics
The nurse takes into consideration that the patient with AIDS dementia complex (ADC) is at risk for injury due to:
a. manic behavior. b. numbness and muscle weakness. c. suicidal ideation. d. difficulty concentrating.
During a bereavement group, one of the members states, "I should have been the one to die. My husband had so much to offer." The member was expressing:
a. An intention to commit suicide b. Ambivalence and low self-esteem c. Unresolved anger toward her husband d. A need for attention from group members
How can the nurse best demonstrate caring to family members of a terminally ill patient?
a. Providing the family with the proposed plan of care b. Explaining all procedures before they are executed c. Exploring with the family how they see their role in caring for the patient d. Suggesting to the family appropriate support systems