A nurse is caring for a young adult client who has ulcerative colitis and is scheduled for surgery to create an ileostomy. After speaking with the provider, the client says, “how will I ever be able to have a normal life after this?”

Which of the following responses should the nurse make?

The ultimate goal of inpatient mental health treatment is to help patients stabilize and manage their mental illness to the point where they can safely return to their homes and communities. Inpatient treatment is typically only used for short periods of time to stabilize a patient who is experiencing severe symptoms that cannot be managed on an outpatient basis. Once the patient is stabilized, they can be discharged and transitioned to an outpatient treatment program or a community mental health centre.

While some mental illnesses may be curable, many are chronic conditions that require ongoing management and treatment.

Finding a facility for long-term care may be appropriate in some cases, but it is not generally a goal of inpatient mental health treatment.

Being arrested and placed in prison is not a desirable outcome of mental health treatment and is not a goal of the treatment process.

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.