A nurse is caring for a client who has a history of alcohol use disorder and has been hospitalized for detoxification. The nurse enters the room and finds the client shouting in a terrified voice, "Get these bugs off of me!" Which of the following responses by the nurse is appropriate?

Choice A reason: Asking the client to describe the bugs reinforces the hallucination and validates the false perception. This can worsen the client’s anxiety and delusion rather than providing reassurance. It is not therapeutic because it does not orient the client to reality. Choice B reason: Telling the client directly that this is part of withdrawal may be factually correct, but it lacks empathy and does not address the client’s fear. It can come across as dismissive and may increase distress. Therapeutic communication requires acknowledging the client’s feelings while gently reorienting them. Choice C reason: This response acknowledges the client’s fear without reinforcing the hallucination. It provides empathy by recognizing the emotional state and gently reorients the client to reality by clarifying that the nurse does not see bugs. This balances reassurance with therapeutic communication, making it the most appropriate response. Choice D reason: Saying the bugs will not harm the client still validates the hallucination, which is not therapeutic. It fails to reorient the client to reality and may perpetuate the delusion.