A client who is in halo traction states to the visiting nurse, “I can’t get used to this contraption. I can’t see properly on the side, and I keep misjudging where everything is.” Which therapeutic response should the nurse make to the client?
ExplanationIn option 3, the nurse employs empathy and reflection. The nurse then offers a strategy for problem-solving, which helps increase the peripheral vision of the client in halo traction. In option 1, the nurse undermines the client’s faith in the medical treatment being employed by giving advice that is insensitive and unprofessional. In option 2, the nurse provides a social response that contains emotionally charged language that could increase the client’s anxiety. In option 4, the nurse uses excessive questioning and gives advice, which is nontherapeutic.
