Family members awaiting the outcome of a suicide atempt are tearful. Which response by the Practical Nurse (PN) is therapeutic to the family at this time? * Select one answer

Choice A reason: Counteract shyness in the client is not the major effect of maintaining eye contact for 2 to 6 seconds during communication. Eye contact is a nonverbal cue that involves looking at the other person’s eyes or face while communicating. It can have different meanings and effects depending on the culture, context, and relationship of the communicators. Maintaining eye contact for 2 to 6 seconds can help to establish rapport, show interest, or convey sincerity, but it may not necessarily counteract shyness in the client. In fact, some clients may feel uncomfortable, intimidated, or threatened by too much eye contact, especially if they are shy, anxious, or from a different cultural background. Therefore, this choice is incorrect.

Choice B reason: Keep the Practical Nurse’s atention on the conversation is not the major effect of maintaining eye contact for 2 to 6 seconds during communication. Eye contact is a nonverbal cue that involves looking at the other person’s eyes or face while communicating. It can have different meanings and effects depending on the culture, context, and relationship of the communicators. Maintaining eye contact for 2 to 6 seconds can help to keep the

Practical Nurse’s atention on the conversation, but it is not the main purpose or outcome of doing so. The main purpose or outcome of maintaining eye contact is to communicate with the other person effectively and respectfully, not to focus on oneself or one’s own behavior. Therefore, this choice is incorrect.

Choice C reason: Assess if the client is involved in the conversation is not the major effect of maintaining eye contact for 2 to 6 seconds during communication. Eye contact is a nonverbal cue that involves looking at the other person’s eyes or face while communicating. It can have different meanings and effects depending on the culture, context, and relationship of the communicators. Maintaining eye contact for 2 to 6 seconds can help to assess if the client is involved in the conversation, but it is not the only or most reliable way of doing so. The Practical Nurse should also pay atention to other verbal and nonverbal cues from the client, such as their tone of voice, facial expressions, body language, or feedback. Therefore, this choice is incorrect.

Choice D reason: Indicate continuous focused atention is the major effect of maintaining eye contact for 2 to 6 seconds during communication. Eye contact is a nonverbal cue that involves looking at the other person’s eyes or face while communicating. It can have different meanings and effects depending on the culture, context, and relationship of the communicators. Maintaining eye contact for 2 to 6 seconds can indicate continuous focused atention, which means that the Practical Nurse is listening actively, understanding empathetically, and responding appropriately to the client’s message. It can also show respect, interest, or sincerity to the client, and enhance rapport and trust between them. Therefore, this choice is correct.

Choice A reason: Needs medical intervention is not the major difference between the two diagnoses. Both diagnoses may require medical intervention, depending on the severity and cause of the vomiting and the nutritional deficiency. Medical intervention is not a criterion for distinguishing between different types of nursing diagnoses.

Therefore, this choice is incorrect.

Choice B reason: Needs no defined nursing interventions is not the major difference between the two diagnoses. Both diagnoses need defined nursing interventions, such as monitoring, teaching, counseling, or providing fluids and electrolytes. Nursing interventions are essential for addressing any nursing diagnosis, whether actual or potential.

Therefore, this choice is incorrect.

Choice C reason: Will not need to be evaluated is not the major difference between the two diagnoses. Both diagnoses need to be evaluated, which involves measuring the outcomes and determining whether the interventions were effective in resolving or preventing the problem. Evaluation is a vital step of the nursing process for any nursing diagnosis, whether actual or potential. Therefore, this choice is incorrect.

Choice D reason: Reflects a problem that does not yet exist is the major difference between the two diagnoses. Diagnosis #1 is an actual nursing diagnosis, which reflects a problem that exists at the present time and has signs and symptoms that can be observed or measured. Diagnosis #2 is a risk for nursing diagnosis, which reflects a problem that does not exist at the present time but may develop in the future if preventive measures are not taken.

Therefore, this choice is correct.