A Patient Is Having Difficulty Making a Decision

question 13

Multiple Choice

A patient is having difficulty making a decision. The nurse has mixed feelings about whether to provide advice. Which principle usually applies? Giving advice

• A) is rarely helpful.
• B) fosters independence.
• C) lifts the burden of personal decision making.
• D) helps the patient develop feelings of personal adequacy.

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Definitions:

Hypodermic Needle

A slender, hollow needle used for injections or extractions of fluids, typically attached to a syringe.

Law of Effect

A psychological principle that behaviors followed by pleasant outcomes are likely to be repeated, while those followed by unpleasant outcomes are less likely to be repeated.

Rewarded Responses

Behaviors or actions that receive positive reinforcement, which increases the likelihood of the behavior being repeated in the future.

Punished Responses

Behaviors that decrease in frequency because they are followed by unpleasant consequences.