Therapeutic Communication Group Roleplay

In each of the following scenarios there are three roles:

The nurse
The client
The observer
These roles will rotate among the group with each scenario, so that at the end of the three scenarios,
every student will have been in each role.

The nurse and client will roleplay the situation in the scenario, for about 5 minutes, and the observer
will take notes on the therapeutic communication techniques that the nurse uses, and any blocks to
communication that occur.

After the roleplay, for each scenario answer the questions pertaining to the role you had in that
roleplay scenario. Create a document with the scenario numbers and your answers, submit the
result to Canvas. You only need to answer the questions that pertain to the role you had in that
scenario.

For the nurse:

What was/were your objective(s) in this conversation? Do you think they were met? Why or
why not?
For the client:
Did you feel that both words and emotions were heard? Why or why not?
For the Observer:
What therapeutic communication techniques did you see/hear the nurse use? What blocks to
communication did you observe?

Scenario 1: A 57 year old female client was admitted to your floor in the hospital 3 days ago and was just
given a cancer diagnosis by the physician. The physician discussed possible treatment options including
chemotherapy and radiation with the client. The client is upset, fearful, and uncertain what she should do.
You walk into the room as the physician is leaving. Your client states “I don’t know what to do. Am I going
to die? Should I even bother with the treatment? What if it just makes me sick and doesn’t help my cancer?”

Scenario 2: An 84 year-old male client was admitted to your unit in the skilled nursing facility 2 months
ago following a pneumonia diagnosis. You were his nurse last week and he was very upbeat and
enthusiastic. He participated in his physical therapy and ate all of his meals. Today you start your shift and
go in to see your client and perform your assessment. He declines to take a breakfast tray. Your client states
“Don’t waste your time on me. What do I have to live for anyway?”
Scenario 3: A 49 year old client is admitted to your floor in the hospital from the ER following a
hypertensive episode, dizziness, and abdominal pain. The client reports that the diet consumed includes
“Whatever I want, burgers, shakes, potato chips, pizza, whatever I feel like.” When asked about alcohol
intake the client reports having 6-10 cans of beer per night. The physician has just spoken to the client and
notified the client that a low sodium, low fat diet will need to be followed and the client will need to
significantly decrease alcohol intake in addition to starting medication for blood pressure. You walk into the
room and the client is angry. Your client states “That diet is not going to do anything for me and I am not
going to follow it. Why did I come here in the first place? All that doctor has to say about me being dizzy and
having pain in my stomach is that I eat too much salt and drink too much beer? What a waste of my time.”