What is the nurse's best response to a mother whose child has a diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and is expressing guilt about not having responded sooner to her child's symptoms?
a. "You should always call the physician when your child has a change in what is normal for him.".
b. "It is better to be safe than sorry.".
c. "It is not uncommon for parents not to notice subtle changes in their children's health.".
d. "I hope this delay does not affect the treat-ment plan.".
C
Suggesting that noticing subtle changes in their children's health is not uncommon minimizes the role the mother played in not seeking early medical attention. It also displays empathy, which helps to build trust, thereby enabling the mother to talk about her feelings. Identifying concerns and clarifying misconceptions will help families cope with the stress of chronic illness. The goal is to relieve the mother's guilt and build trust so that she can talk about her feelings. Telling the mother that she should have called the pediatrician will only reinforce her guilt. Adages such as "It is better to be safe than sorry" are flippant and reinforce the belief that the mother was negligent, which will only increase her guilt. Telling the mother that you hope the delay does not affect the treatment plan shows a total lack of empathy and would increase the mother's feelings of guilt.
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