Question

Six months after undergoing a radical modified mastectomy to treat breast cancer, a client is admitted for chemotherapy. When the nurse enters the client's room, the client is sobbing and states, "I thought the chemotherapy would help, but now I feel worse." Which response by the nurse would be most therapeutic? Select all that apply.

"I'll sit here with you for a while. Would it help you to talk about it?" "Don't worry. I'm sure everything will be okay if you just give it time." "I'll bring you a sedative to calm you down." "You probably should have had surgery sooner so the tumor could have been caught earlier." "You're feeling worse since chemotherapy started?"

Answer 1

The most therapeutic responses involve offering to stay with the client and inviting them to discuss their feelings, while avoiding false assurances or inducing regret.

Step-by-step explanation:

In responding to a client who is sobbing and expressing the feeling of being worse after chemotherapy, the most therapeutic responses by the nurse would be those that provide emotional support and validate the client's experiences without making false assurances or inducing guilt. Therefore, the appropriate responses would include:

• "I'll sit here with you for a while. Would it help you to talk about it?"
• "You're feeling worse since chemotherapy started?"

These responses offer a presence to comfort the client and an opportunity to express their emotions, as well as acknowledge the client's current feelings. It's essential to avoid statements that may belittle the client's emotions or insinuate regret over past decisions regarding their health care.