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Test Bank For Basic Nursing 6th Edition Patricia A Potter
Test Bank For Basic Nursing 6th Edition Patricia A Potter
Potter
USTESTBANK.COM
Test Bank
Chapter 9: Communication
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. A student nurse who works for an oncology unit is preparing to bathe a patient who
recently underwent surgery to remove an abdominal tumor. Before beginning the bath,
the student nurse explains what she intends to do. Which of the following best describes
her communication role?
A. Channel
B. Receiver
C. Referent
D. Sender
ANS: D
The sender is the person who delivers the message. The roles of sender and receiver
change back and forth as two persons interact.
2. A patient is being cared for by a student nurse. The patient has questions regarding what
time her surgery is scheduled. When the student nurse responds to the question, she is
assuming which of the following communication roles?
A. Channel
B. Receiver
C. Referent
D. Sender
ANS: D
The sender is the person who delivers the message. The roles of sender and receiver
change back and forth as two persons interact.
3. A registered nurse is a new nurse manager who needs to council an employee regarding
her attendance. Because the nurse manager is new to the position, she is rehearsing what
she plans to say to the employee before the meeting. Which of the following best
describes this form of communication?
A. Interpersonal
B. Intrapersonal
C. Public
D. Private
ANS: B
Intrapersonal communication, also called self-talk, is a powerful form of communication
that occurs within an individual. People “talk to themselves” by forming thoughts
internally that strongly influence perceptions, feelings, behavior, self-concept, and
performance. Self-talk is a mental rehearsal for difficult tasks or situations so that
individuals deal with them more effectively.
5. Mrs. Bath asked a student nurse when she could expect her health care provider to make
rounds. The student nurse was on her way to take a patient for a stat test and replied very
quickly, “I have no idea.” Mrs. Bath most likely interpreted the student nurse as uncaring
due to which of the following?
A. Vocabulary
B. Intonation
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C. Timing
D. Eye contact
ANS: B
Tone of voice dramatically affects a message’s meaning, and emotions directly influence
tone of voice. A simple question or statement can express enthusiasm, anger, or concern.
Be aware of intonation to avoid sending unintended messages. If the patient interprets a
message as uncaring or condescending, communication is blocked.
6. A 9-year-old patient who is hospitalized for bowel surgery appeared very frightened. To
appear less threatening to the child, which of the following would be best for the nurse to
do?
A. Stand over his bed when talking to him.
B. Sit in a chair next to his bed when talking to him.
C. Maintain constant eye contact with him.
D. Stay within 12 inches of him when talking to him.
ANS: B
Looking down on a person establishes authority, but interacting at the same eye level
indicates equality in the relationship. A nurse appears less dominant and less threatening
when interacting at the patient’s eye level.
7. Mary, a student nurse, went into Mrs. Doer’s room at 0900, shortly after she was told that
she had liver cancer. Mrs. Doer asked Mary if she had a few minutes because she did not
want to be alone. Mary stood very close to Mrs. Doer, held her hand and told her she had
plenty of time. A few minutes later, Mary thought she should check the time on her watch
because she was supposed to take another patient for a test at 0945. Mrs. Doer saw Mary
look at her watch and told Mary that she now was okay to be alone. Why did Mrs. Doer
most likely request to be alone?
A. Invasion of personal space
B. Verbal communication
C. Mary’s gesture
D. Intonation
ANS: C
Gestures alone carry specific meanings, or they may create messages with other
communication cues.
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9. A student nurse is considered to project a professional image by her peers. Which of the
following behaviors would be considered most professional?
A. Addressing a patient by “dear”
B. Wearing small earrings
C. Being task-oriented
D. Avoiding troublesome patients
ANS: B
The patient’s acceptance of a nurse as a professional often depends on the manner in
which he or she presents a professional and caring image. Verbal and nonverbal
behaviors influence the helping relationship. Professional appearance, demeanor, and
behavior are important in establishing trustworthiness and competence.
10. When caring for a patient from another culture, what is the best strategy for the nurse to
use in communicating with the patient?
A. Using a cultural joke to break the ice
B. Stereotyping the patient within their culture
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11. A 67-year-old patient had a stroke that left her aphasic. A student nurse is working on a
plan of care. What is the best nursing diagnosis to use for the patient’s aphasia?
A. Impaired verbal communication
B. Anxiety
C. Impaired social interaction
D. Ineffective coping
ANS: A
Impaired verbal communication is the nursing diagnostic label to describe a patient who
has limited or no ability to communicate verbally. This diagnosis is useful for a wide
variety of patients with special problems and needs related to communication. It is
defined as “decreased, delayed, or absent ability to receive, process, transmit, and use a
system of symbols.”
12. A 67-year-old patient recently had a stroke that left her aphasiac. The nurse has planned
to take a multidisciplinary approach to her care. Who would be most appropriate for the
nurse to collaborate with regarding the patient’s aphasia?
A. Interpreter
B. Speech therapist
C. Physical therapist
D. Psychiatric nurse specialist
ANS: B
The nurse should collaborate with other health care providers who have expertise in
communication strategies. Speech therapists help patients with aphasia. Interpreters are
invaluable when a patient speaks a foreign language. Psychiatric nurse specialists help in
communicating with angry or highly anxious patients.
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13. Marsha, a student nurse, is spending time with her patient, Mrs. James, who has recently
been diagnosed with breast cancer. Mrs. James expresses that she is frightened about the
diagnosis and feels overwhelmed. Marsha’s responds, “It sounds to me like you are
feeling very scared right now.” This is an example of which of the following?
A. Sympathy
B. Empathy
C. Focusing
D. Self-disclosure
ANS: B
Empathy is the ability to understand and accept another person’s perspective. Although
no one can never totally know another’s experiences, a nurse can try to understand what
the person is going through.
14. A patient has just been admitted to the hospital with a broken hip from a fall in her home.
She is concerned that she might not be able to return home after surgery because she lives
in a second-floor apartment without an elevator. The nurse admitting her is practicing
active listening. Which of the following behaviors best conveys to the patient that the
nurse is listening to her?
A. Keeping arms crossed
B. Sitting facing the patient
C. Leaning away from the patient
D. Standing facing the patient
ANS: B
Active listening enhances trust because the nurse communicates acceptance and respect
for the patient. Several nonverbal skills facilitate attentive listening, which are identified
by the acronym SOLER:
Sit facing the patient.
Observe and open posture.
Lean toward the patient.
Establish can maintain eye contact.
Relax.
15. Graham is a nursing student who is working evenings for a busy medical unit. He is
caring for one patient who is having abdominal pain and is experiencing difficulty
sleeping. Graham sits at the bedside of this patient and takes her hand. The patient
quickly pulls back her hand. What is the most likely cause for this behavior?
A. She is uncomfortable with being touched.
B. She is in too much pain to be touched.
C. She has impaired social skills.
D. She has difficulty with nonverbal communication.
ANS: A
Nurses need to remain sensitive to their own responses and to patients’ feelings. If a
patient refuses to hold a nurse’s hand while in pain or pulls away from physical contact,
this signals that the patient is uncomfortable with being touched by the nurse.
16. A student nurse who is assisting in the admission of a patient to the orthopedic unit of the
hospital is obtaining information for the database. She is using therapeutic
communication to gain information from the patient. Which of the following is the best
way for the student nurse to obtain information from the patient?
A. Asking personal questions in order to show interest
B. Using medical vocabulary to appear competent
C. Asking why he waited so long to get his knee replaced
D. Using silence while he gathers his thoughts
ANS: D
Nontherapeutic techniques discourage further expression of feelings and ideas and
engender negative responses or behaviors in others.
17. A nurse decides to talk with another staff nurse about a patient for which they are caring.
This type of communication constitutes:
A. gossip.
B. validation.
C. interpersonal communication.
D. intrapersonal communication.
ANS: C
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Gossiping violates confidentiality. The act of validation requires comparing data with
another source. Intrapersonal communication occurs within the individual, consisting of
self-talk, self-verbalization, or inner thoughts. Effective interpersonal communication
includes idea sharing, problem solving, expressing feelings, decision-making, goal
accomplishment, team building, and personal growth.
18. When a nurse tells a patient “I will return in 15 minutes,” the nurse is using the technique
of:
A. trust.
B. empathy.
C. availability.
D. confidentiality.
ANS: C
Being available means being present for others when needed or offering one’s presence.
When establishing communication with patients, it is essential to safeguard patient
information and trust. When a nurse is empathetic, he or she is understanding and
accepting the patient’s reality.
19. A 22-year-old female model recently had a bowel resection resulting in a colostomy.
When the nurse enters the room to begin teaching the patient about the care of the
ostomy, she finds the patient crying. The nurse decides to delay this teaching session due
to the:
A. pacing of the conversation.
B. timing and relevance of the information.
C. environmental setting of the conversation.
D. possible differences in connotative meaning.
ANS: B
Pacing refers to talking rapidly, using awkward pauses, or speaking slowly and
deliberately as if conveying an unintended message. The environment refers to both the
physical and emotional climate in which the communication takes place. Connotative
meaning is the shade or interpretation of a word’s meaning influenced by thoughts,
feelings, or ideas.
20. Contracts for a therapeutic helping relationship are formed during the _____ stage.
A. working
B. termination
C. pre-interaction
D. orientation
ANS: D
During the working phase, nurse and patient work together to solve problems and
accomplish goals. During the termination phase the helping relationship is ended.
In the pre-interaction stage the nurse gathers information from various sources about the
patient.
21. A nurse enters a patient’s room and sees the patient grimacing with each movement.
When questioned the patient states that he “feels fine.” Nonverbal communication by the
patient:
A. adds cues and meaning to verbal communication.
B. ensures the patient will send the message intended.
C. is an indirect communication technique to ensure their needs are met.
D. conveys contextual factors such as attitudes, values, beliefs, and self-concept.
ANS: A
Nonverbal communication includes messages sent through the language of the body,
without the use of words. Nonverbal forms of communication include use of facial
expressions, eyes, gestures, posture, and physical appearance. Nonverbal communication
often reveals physical feelings.
22. While a patent is being interviewed, a family member states, “My father really means that
he doesn’t know what the physician meant about the medical diagnosis.” The
communication style the family member used is:
A. focusing.
B. clarifying.
C. summarizing.
D. paraphrasing.
ANS: B
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23. A nurse is experiencing problems understanding a dysarthric patient. When dealing with
patients who experience impaired communications, a nurse can:
A. vary the tone, pitch, and intonation of the voice.
B. facilitate methods that help the patient communicate more clearly.
C. shift from subject to subject until the patient responds.
D. speak through another staff member who has more experience dealing with
dysarthric patients.
ANS: B
When attempting to communicate with patients who have special needs, nurses will need
to use a variety of alternative forms of communication. Using a table of common words
can facilitate the communication process. A dysarthric patient can hear and comprehend;
however, he or she cannot verbally communicate.
24. When a staff nurse plans a teaching session for a patient diagnosed with postmyocardial
infarction, an important aspect to incorporate is the message component of the teaching
session. The message component:
A. uses methods unique to the situation.
B. conveys a message within a message.
C. pays attention to each aspect of the message.
D. is clear, organized, and expressed in a familiar method.
ANS: D
The message is the content of the conversation. It includes both verbal and nonverbal
information. Remember the sender sends the message; the channel is the means of
conveying and receiving the message. The nurse sends the message to the receiver.
MULTIPLE RESPONSE
Test Bank for Basic Nursing, 6th Edition: Patricia A. Potter
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1. A nurse has just admitted a 5-year-old child for a suspected appendicitis. A therapeutic
communication technique to use while talking with this child includes which of the
following? Select all that apply.
A. Allowing the child time to talk
B. Using simple, direct language
C. Sitting at the child’s eye level
D. Telling the child exactly what he or she can do
ANS: B, C
Communicating with a child requires special consideration. When communicating, make
sure to physically be to the child’s eye level, yet avoid crowding the child. Always
prepare children by telling them what will be done with them or to them.