A client hospitalized for diagnostic testing reports an intense fear of being found to have a terminal condition. What response by the nurse will be most therapeutic?
1. "There is no indication you are going to die.".
2. "I am not sure why you feel that way.".
3. "What has your doctor told you about your condition?"
4. "What types of symptoms lead you to feel this way?"
3. "What has your doctor told you about your condition?"
Rationale:
The client is demonstrating signs of death anxiety. This involves a fear of dying. The nurse's responsibility will be to determine what has caused this anxiety. Telling the client that the feelings are unfounded will do little to ease the client's anxiety. Further, this might not be entirely true. Expressing to the client a lack of understanding about his feelings will not gain much data or promote a rapport between the client and the nurse. Asking what symptoms lead to the client's feelings is disingenuous, because the client is obviously worried about the test results.
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