A female client tells the nurse that she feels very depressed about her recent divorce. Which of the following is the nurses best therapeutic response?

This response is empathetic and allows the client to express her feelings openly. It demonstrates active listening and validates the client's emotions.

Option A ("I know exactly how you feel") can come across as dismissive or assuming, and it may not accurately reflect the client's unique experience.

Option B ("Most people experience depressed feelings after a divorce") may also come across as dismissive and minimizes the client's feelings.

Option C ("Look on the bright side, you will be glad you divorced him in a couple of years") is not empathetic and does not acknowledge the client's current emotional state.

Hildegard Peplau was a nursing theorist who promoted the interpersonal theory between patient and nurse. She believed that nursing is a therapeutic, interpersonal process that involves the development of a close and personal relationship between the nurse and the patient. According to her theory, the nurse should understand the patient's needs, feelings, and behaviors to develop a personalized care plan that would facilitate the patient's recovery.

Mary Mahoney was a nurse who broke racial barriers and became the first African American registered nurse in the United States.

Hattie Bessment was a nurse who promoted nursing education and research.

Linda Richards was the first professionally trained nurse in the United States and established the first nursing school in Japan.

While these nurses contributed significantly to the nursing profession, they did not specifically promote the interpersonal theory between patient and nurse.