A patient diagnosed with alcoholism says. "Drinking helps me cope with being a single parent." Which therapeutic response by the nurse would help the patient conceptualize the drinking objectively?
"Sooner or later, alcohol will kill you. Then what will happen to your children?"
"I hear a lot of defensiveness in your voice. Do you really believe this?"
"Tell me what happened the last time you drank."
"If you were coping so well, why were you hospitalized again?"
The Correct Answer is C
A. This response is confrontational and judgmental, likely causing defensiveness rather than insight.
B. Pointing out defensiveness may provoke resistance rather than helping the patient analyze their behavior objectively.
C. This response encourages the patient to reflect on their own behavior and the consequences of drinking, promoting self-awareness and objective evaluation without judgment. It allows the patient to explore their actions and recognize patterns.
D. This response is accusatory and may make the patient feel blamed, which is not therapeutic.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
A. A busy family may experience stress, but this alone is not the greatest risk factor for abuse.
B. Multiple caregivers can sometimes create inconsistency in care, but it is not the primary factor.
C. Rural living may limit access to resources, but dementia itself poses a greater risk.
D. Dementia (especially Alzheimer’s disease) significantly increases vulnerability to abuse because of impaired memory, communication, and judgment, which limit the ability to report or stop mistreatment.
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
A. This is transference, where the patient projects feelings about another person onto the nurse.
B. Realistic, appropriate reactions suggest progress in the therapeutic relationship, not countertransference.
C. Developing trust is a goal in the nurse–patient relationship, not a problem.
D. Countertransference occurs when the nurse unconsciously transfers their own feelings to the patient, which can interfere with objectivity. Feeling unusually happy about the patient’s improvement signals the nurse’s personal emotional involvement beyond professional boundaries.
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