You are a nurse caring for a patient who is having a GI bleed. You say

You are a nurse caring for a patient who is having a GI bleed. You say to his wife: “It is so fortunate that you brought him to the emergency room. You were right in thinking that he needed immediate medical attention.”

This is a therapeutic statement for which of the following reasons?
1. It is an open-ended question that encourages conversation.
2. It is circular questioning that focuses on relationships.
3. It commends the family member and empowers them in the situation.
4. It makes the family member feel that she has been heard.

ESSAYBID ANSWER

ANS: 3

Feedback
1 This is not an open-ended question—it is a statement of commendation.
2 This is not a circular question—it is a statement of commendation.
3 Commendations, or statements of praise, empower family members and enhance the ability of the nurse to form a collaborative relationship. Praise often helps family members better endure the strain of the illness experience.
4 This response is only partially correct. The family member is not only heard but her actions are praised which in itself is a nursing intervention.