A recently widowed client says, 'I lived my whole life for my husband and children. Now he's dead and my daughter and son have each married and moved across the country. They hardly ever call or visit. It's just that there's really nothing much for me to do.' Which nurse response would be appropriate?

• A. You should try to keep busy by going to social events.
• B. You could begin to plan your daily routine with new activities.
• C. Let me help you arrange a new hobby right away.
• D. You seem to be identifying some issues in your life that are troubling, and you sound very down right now.

Answer: (D)

A key idea here is using therapeutic communication to assess distress and potential depressive symptoms in someone who is grieving. The client’s remark about feeling there’s “really nothing much to do” after losing her husband and seeing her children move away signals loneliness, loss of purpose, and possible mood disturbance that needs careful listening.

The best response acknowledges her feelings and invites further sharing without rushing to solutions. By saying she seems to be identifying troubling issues and sounds very down, the nurse reflects the client’s emotions back to her, validates her experience, and opens space for more conversation. This approach builds trust, helps gauge the severity of distress, and sets the stage for a fuller mental health assessment and safety check if needed.

The other options jump to concrete actions or plans before exploring the emotional state. Telling her to stay busy, plan new routines, or arrange a hobby can feel dismissive or premature when someone is expressing significant emotional pain and potential depression, and it may overlook the need to assess mood, grief, and functioning more fully.