A patient who is nothing by mouth (NPO) in preparation for a bronchoscopy expresses worry about not having a drink of water. What is the best nurse response?

A patient who is nothing by mouth (NPO) in preparation for a bronchoscopy expresses worry about not having a drink of water. What is the best nurse response?

• A. Let's talk about your concerns regarding this test.
• B. I'll see if the doctor will let you have some ice chips
• C. The doctor will review the results of the test as soon as possible.
• D. As soon as the test is over I'll get you whatever you would like to drink.

Answer: (A)

Addressing the patient’s anxiety through therapeutic, patient-centered communication is being tested here. The best response opens the conversation and invites the patient to voice their concerns, which helps reduce fear and build trust. Saying “Let’s talk about your concerns regarding this test” is an open, nonjudgmental invitation that signals you’re listening, validates their feelings, and sets up the opportunity to provide needed information about why NPO is required and what to expect. This approach helps the patient feel heard and gives you a chance to address safety and procedural details in a calm, collaborative way. Why the other options aren’t equal fits: suggesting ice chips would imply compromising safety and breaking the NPO rule, which isn’t appropriate before a bronchoscopy. Saying the doctor will review results soon is irrelevant to the current anxiety and doesn’t address the patient’s feelings. Promising a drink after the test, or any outcome that contradicts the NPO status, is misleading and unsafe. In practice, after inviting the conversation, you can gently provide the rationale for NPO, outline what will happen during the procedure, and answer questions to help the patient feel more secure.

Addressing the patient’s anxiety through therapeutic, patient-centered communication is being tested here. The best response opens the conversation and invites the patient to voice their concerns, which helps reduce fear and build trust. Saying “Let’s talk about your concerns regarding this test” is an open, nonjudgmental invitation that signals you’re listening, validates their feelings, and sets up the opportunity to provide needed information about why NPO is required and what to expect. This approach helps the patient feel heard and gives you a chance to address safety and procedural details in a calm, collaborative way.

Why the other options aren’t equal fits: suggesting ice chips would imply compromising safety and breaking the NPO rule, which isn’t appropriate before a bronchoscopy. Saying the doctor will review results soon is irrelevant to the current anxiety and doesn’t address the patient’s feelings. Promising a drink after the test, or any outcome that contradicts the NPO status, is misleading and unsafe.

In practice, after inviting the conversation, you can gently provide the rationale for NPO, outline what will happen during the procedure, and answer questions to help the patient feel more secure.