A female patient wants to discuss her history of childhood sexual abuse.

The nurse tells her not to talk about it. This is an example of which non-therapeutic communication technique?

Choice A rationale
Rejecting is a non-therapeutic communication technique where the nurse refuses to discuss certain topics with the patient. In this case, the nurse telling the patient not to talk about her history of childhood sexual abuse is an example of rejecting. This approach can make the patient feel unheard or invalidated, which can hinder the therapeutic relationship and impede the patient’s healing process.
Choice B rationale
Providing inadequate responses is another non-therapeutic communication technique. It involves giving vague or insufficient responses to the patient’s concerns or questions. However, in this scenario, the nurse is not providing an inadequate response but rather refusing to engage in the conversation altogether, which is more aligned with rejecting.
Choice C rationale
Being judgmental is a non-therapeutic communication technique where the nurse makes negative judgments or evaluations about the patient. In this scenario, the nurse is not making any judgments about the patient or her experiences. Instead, the nurse is avoiding the topic, which is indicative of rejecting.
Choice D rationale
Failing to probe is a non-therapeutic communication technique that involves not seeking further information from the patient, thereby missing important details. While the nurse in this scenario is not seeking more information about the patient’s history, the behavior is more accurately described as rejecting because the nurse is actively discouraging the patient from discussing her experiences.