Mrs. Hill, aged 68, was hospitalized after a stroke. The speech therap

QUESTION

Mrs. Hill, aged 68, was hospitalized after a stroke. The speech therapist recommended that oral feeding be stopped because of her dysplasia. During visiting hours, Mr. Hill fed his wife some noodles.

The nurse noticed this and stopped Mr. Hill from feeding his wife, telling him it was the doctor’s decision. An hour later, the nurse returned and found Mr. Hill feeding his wife again. The nurse tried to stop him again. Mr. Hill refused and claimed that the clinical staff was trying to starve his wife; he also threatened to get violent with the nurse. The nurse decided to walk away and documented the event in Mrs. Hill’s chart. The outcome as depicted by Thomas’ conflict stages can be considered to be:

a. Compromising.
b. Confronting.
c. Constructive.
d. Destructive.

ANSWER:

ANS: D
Resolution was absent because the nurse did not have time to effectively deal with the issues in the conflict. This can lead to negativity, increased frustration, and further distancing between individuals or groups, including between patients and nurses.