A nurse was becoming frustrated. It had been 2 weeks, and although the

A nurse was becoming frustrated. It had been 2 weeks, and although the client had verbalized that the best time of day to take a 15-minute walk was early in the morning, the client had not begun to exercise.

Which of the following principles of the Transtheoretical Model had the nurse forgotten? (Select all that apply.)
a.
A decision to act always occurs before action begins.
b.
Behavior change is difficult and takes time.
c.
Continuing to stress to the client how important exercise is will help the client decide to exercise.
d.
Discussing with the client why he or she is not yet exercising may help the client recognize his or her own resistance.
e.
The nurse should offer some reward if the person exercises for at least a week.
f.
Verbalizing compassion for how difficult it is to change is a crucial intervention.

ESSAYBID ANSWER

ANS: A, B
The Transtheoretical Model is based on the assumption that behavior change takes place over time, progressing through a sequence of stages. The fact that the person had stated the best time to exercise demonstrates the client has moved through precontemplation and contemplation and is preparing to act. The nurse is being rather optimistic in thinking change will occur within 2 weeks. Although being compassionate is helpful, it is not a crucial step in the beginning of the process. Personal resistance to change is probably obvious and does not need further discussion as the patient has moved beyond the stage of analyzing pros and cons to the change.