A 62-year-old woman expresses marital strain and feels like a golf widow. Which nursing response is most appropriate?

• A. Have you shared your feelings with your husband?
• B. It doesn't matter what you feel; you should keep busy
• C. He is retired; you should adjust on your own
• D. Perhaps you should seek marriage counseling immediately

Answer: (A)

Encouraging open, patient-centered communication is the key idea here. When a patient expresses marital strain and feels lonely because her spouse spends a lot of time away, the most supportive nursing response is to invite her to share her feelings with her husband. This validates her experience, preserves her autonomy, and helps the couple address the issue together rather than suppress it. It also helps the nurse assess whether there’s an opportunity for problem-solving within the relationship and whether further support, like counseling, might be appropriate after direct communication has occurred. Other approaches either minimize her feelings, push her to distract herself, or imply she should handle the situation alone, which can leave emotional needs unaddressed. If talking with the husband doesn’t resolve things, counseling can be considered as a next step.