The nurse is caring for a patient recently diagnosed with a terminal illness. The patient says, “There’s no way this is right. I’m going to get another opinion—this doctor doesn’t know what they’re talking about.” The nurse recognizes that the patient is in which stage of grief?

Choice A reason: Expressing empathy, such as acknowledging the difficulty of the loss, fosters a therapeutic connection. It validates the patient’s emotions, encouraging open expression of grief, which is essential for processing loss and aligns with therapeutic communication principles, making this choice therapeutic.

Choice B reason: Asking the patient to elaborate on their feelings is a therapeutic open-ended question. It promotes exploration of emotions, facilitating grief processing by engaging the patient’s prefrontal cortex in reflecting on their experience, making this a therapeutic response and incorrect for the question.

Choice C reason: Saying “You’ll feel better soon” minimizes the patient’s grief, dismissing their current emotional state. This nontherapeutic response can inhibit emotional expression, as it implies a timeline for grief recovery, potentially disrupting the patient’s natural mourning process, making this the correct choice.

Choice D reason: Offering support and encouraging discussion is therapeutic, as it builds trust and validates the patient’s experience. This response engages the patient in processing grief, supporting emotional regulation through empathetic communication, making it a therapeutic response and incorrect for the question.

Choice A reason: Checking with the physician before releasing information to a legal guardian is unnecessary, as guardians have legal authority to access patient information. This response delays care coordination and disregards the guardian’s role, potentially hindering decision-making, making it incorrect.

Choice B reason: Requiring patient consent is inappropriate for a patient with advanced Alzheimer’s, who lacks decision-making capacity. The court-appointed guardian has legal authority to receive medical information, as they act in the patient’s best interest, making this response incorrect.

Choice C reason: Restricting information to immediate family ignores the legal guardian’s authority. Guardians, regardless of family status, are legally entitled to medical updates to make informed care decisions, as they represent the patient’s interests, making this response incorrect.

Choice D reason: Providing the guardian with medication and care plan updates is appropriate, as they have legal authority to make healthcare decisions for the patient. This ensures informed decision-making and complies with legal and ethical standards, making this the correct choice.