Question

How should a nurse respond when a client expresses concerns about the potential recurrence of their spouse's illness?

A. There is no need to worry about recurrence; it's unlikely to happen.
B. Your spouse's illness will definitely recur in the future.
C. It is likely that my wife will have a recurrence of her illness at some time in her life.
D. There is no way to predict the recurrence of your spouse's illness.

Answer 1

A nurse should respond to concerns about illness recurrence with empathy and factual information, focusing on treatment adherence and symptom monitoring without giving false reassurances or making definitive negative predictions.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a client expresses concerns about the potential recurrence of their spouse's illness, a nurse should respond with empathy and provide information that is both accurate and supportive. Omitting false reassurances or negative predictions is crucial. Instead, the nurse should acknowledge the client's concerns and provide information on the nature of the illness, the importance of adhering to the treatment plan, and how to recognize signs of potential flare-ups. Given the information that Kerry's symptoms have not returned over the past 6 months but future flare-ups are likely, the nurse could respond with something akin to option D, explaining that while it is not possible to predict with certainty if or when the illness may recur, adherence to the treatment plan and monitoring for new symptoms is vital for managing the condition.