A client who is re-learning to walk asks the nurse, “to come with me t

A client who is re-learning to walk asks the nurse, “to come with me today to physical therapy.” The nurse realizes that the client is most likely expressing:

1. A need for emotional support
2. A need for familiar companionship
3. An appreciation of the nurse’s caring
4. An interest in validating her progress

ANSWER

ANS: 3
Providing presence is a person-to-person encounter conveying a closeness and a sense of caring. This type of presence is something the nurse offers to the client with the purpose of achieving some goal, such as support, comfort, or encouragement, to diminish the intensity of unwanted feelings or for reassurance. If clients accept the nurse, they will invite him or her to see, share, and touch their vulnerability and suffering. Although the other options may be true, the client will not likely seek out the nurse for emotional comfort if there is not a sense of presence be-tween them.