Which comments by a nurse demonstrate the use of therapeutic communication techniques? (Select all that apply)

Choice A reason: Discussing patient history with staff during care planning is permissible under HIPAA for treatment purposes. It ensures coordinated care within the healthcare team, not violating privacy, as it is limited to professional need-to-know, making this choice incorrect.

Choice B reason: Documenting daily behavior is standard practice in medical records for treatment continuity and legal documentation. It is protected under confidentiality laws and does not breach privacy when restricted to authorized personnel, making this choice incorrect for a privacy violation.

Choice C reason: Releasing information to an employer without consent violates HIPAA, which mandates patient authorization for disclosures outside treatment, payment, or operations. This breaches confidentiality, compromising the patient’s right to privacy, making this the correct choice for a privacy violation.

Choice D reason: Asking family for pre-hospitalization information is appropriate if done with patient consent or legal justification, such as assessing history for treatment. Without evidence of unauthorized disclosure, this does not inherently breach privacy, making this choice incorrect.

Choice A reason: Mood stabilizers, like lithium, are used for bipolar disorder to regulate mood swings, not for acute anxiety. They target long-term mood stabilization, not immediate symptom relief, which is critical for post-traumatic anxiety, making this category inappropriate for the patient’s condition.

Choice B reason: Antidepressants, such as SSRIs, treat depression and chronic anxiety over weeks, not acute anxiety. Their delayed onset makes them unsuitable for immediate relief following a traumatic event like a car accident, where rapid symptom management is needed, making this choice incorrect.

Choice C reason: Antipsychotics treat psychosis or severe agitation, not primary anxiety. Their use in anxiety is off-label and typically reserved for cases unresponsive to anxiolytics, with higher side effect risks. This makes them inappropriate for acute anxiety management, rendering this choice incorrect.

Choice D reason: Anxiolytics, like benzodiazepines, provide rapid relief for acute anxiety by enhancing GABA activity, calming the central nervous system. They are the primary choice for short-term management of anxiety post-trauma, aligning with clinical guidelines, making this the correct medication category for patient teaching.