The nurse observes a client scheduled for an invasive procedure crying

The nurse observes a client scheduled for an invasive procedure crying while discussing the pro-cedure with a family member. Which of the following therapeutic nursing interventions would be the most caring?

1. Arranging for the client’s clergy to visit
2. Inquiring, “Why is your sister crying?”
3. Providing a detailed explanation of the procedure
4. Offering to “sit and talk” if the client has any questions

ANSWER

ANS: 4
Knowing who clients are helps you select caring approaches that are most appropriate to the cli-ents’ needs. For that reason, focus on building a relationship that allows you to learn what is im-portant to your clients.
While arranging for clergy to visit may be comforting to some clients, the nurse must first ‘know’ the client to determine if it would be appropriate and then ask the client if they wish clergy to visit.
While asking someone why the client is crying may get to the root of the crying, it does not aid directly in the nurse-client relationship that will help in the development of a caring relationship built on the nurse ‘knowing’ the client.
While offering to answer questions may help minimize the client’s fear, it will be effective only after the nurse ‘knows’ the client well enough to determine that the crying is a result of an insuf-ficient understanding of the proposed procedure.