The day following his admission, the nurse sits down by a male client on the sofa in the dayroom. He was admitted for depression and thoughts of suicide. He looks at the nurse and says, “My life is so bad no one can do anything to help me.”

The day following his admission, the nurse sits down by a male client on the sofa in the dayroom. He was admitted for depression and thoughts of suicide. He looks at the nurse and says, “My life is so bad no one can do anything to help me.”

The most helpful initial response by the nurse would be:
A . “It concerns me that you feel so badly when you have so many positive things in your life.”
B . “It will take a few weeks for you to feel better, so you need to be patient.”
C . “You are telling me that you are feeling hopeless at this point?”
D . “Let’s play cards with some of the other clients to get your mind off your problems for now.”

View Answer

Answer: C

Explanation:

(A) This response does not acknowledge the client’s feelings and may increase his feelings of guilt.

(B) This response denotes false reassurance.

(C) This response acknowledges the client’s feelings and invites a response.

(D) This response changes the subject and does not allow the client to talk about his feelings.