A patient scheduled for surgery the next morning says, "I am worried about my surgery." The nurse responds, "Tell me more about it." This is an example of which therapeutic communication technique?

1. A

   Restating

2. B

   Questioning

3. C

   Exploring

4. D

   Evaluating

Appeared in: AIIMS M.Sc. Nsg Entrance exam-2026

Explanation

• The correct technique is Exploring, which involves delving deeper into a subject or concern the patient has raised.
• The nurse's response, "Tell me more about it," is an open-ended prompt designed to encourage the patient to elaborate on their feelings and thoughts.
• This technique helps the nurse gather more information and shows the patient that their concerns are being taken seriously.
• Unlike simple questioning, exploring specifically aims to facilitate a more detailed narrative from the patient.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

• Option A: Restating involves repeating the main idea the patient has said. The nurse's response goes beyond repetition and asks for more information.
• Option B: While 'exploring' is a form of questioning, it is a more specific and appropriate term. 'Questioning' is too broad; therapeutic communication emphasizes open-ended questions, and 'exploring' perfectly describes the intent to go deeper.
• Option D: Evaluating is a non-therapeutic technique that involves making a judgment about the patient's feelings or thoughts, which blocks communication.

Related Visual

• Visual 1: Flowchart: A flowchart illustrating the process of therapeutic communication, starting with active listening, identifying a patient's concern, and then branching to different techniques like exploring, clarifying, or restating based on the situation.

Clinical Relevance

• Nursing practice connection: Use the key finding related to Therapeutic Communication Techniques to guide bedside assessment, documentation, and the next nursing action.
• Using therapeutic techniques like exploring is fundamental to building a trusting nurse-patient relationship.
• It allows the nurse to perform a more accurate psychosocial assessment by understanding the patient's specific fears, which could relate to pain, anesthesia, or post-operative outcomes.
• Effectively exploring a patient's anxiety can help alleviate it, leading to better cooperation and potentially improved surgical outcomes.

How to Approach the Question

• First, identify the core interaction in the scenario: a patient expresses a feeling ('worried'), and the nurse responds.
• Analyze the nurse's response: 'Tell me more about it.' Is it a statement, a question, a judgment, or a repetition?
• Recognize that the response is an open-ended invitation for the patient to elaborate. This is the key feature.
• Review the definitions of the communication techniques provided in the options.
• Match the nurse's response to the best-fitting definition. 'Exploring' is defined as encouraging the patient to provide more information, which perfectly matches the nurse's intent.
• Eliminate other options by comparing them. The nurse is not simply 'restating' the patient's words, nor are they making a 'judgment' (evaluating).

Concept Tested & Keywords

• Concept Tested: Therapeutic Communication Techniques
• Stem keywords: patient, worried, surgery, nurse responds, therapeutic communication
• Lead-in keywords: example of which
• Clinical cues: Patient expressing anxiety ('I am worried').
• Clinical cues: Nurse using an open-ended prompt ('Tell me more...').

Question ID

QvaJi3ojgtveVbmaBkQkzx

Copy ID