An older client in an adult day care program tells the nurse that, "I'm very stressed because another neighbor passed away." The most therapeutic response by the nurse is:
a. "What do you mean by 'stressed'?"
b. "Tell me what you did when your other neighbor passed away."
c. "Are you worrying about your own death?"
d. "Let's get involved in some activities and not think about sad things."
ANS: B
Application of what one has learned from previous situations can help dissipate the intensity of stress. Denial of the stressful event and focusing upon blessings or happiness will not lessen the stress and may in turn intensify it. While it is appropriate to ask the client to clarify what they are saying, it doesn't help in this situation. This is not necessarily the time to initiate a conversation about the client's feelings about death since doing so is likely to increase the level of stress.
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