A nurse is caring for a client who is visibly upset and tearful about a recent terminal diagnosis. Which of the following responses should the nurse make?

A. "I'm going to contact your family so they can be with you.": While involving family is important, the nurse should first provide emotional support to the client. It may feel abrupt to the client if the nurse immediately redirects the focus to others without acknowledging the client's current emotional state. B. "I will stay with you for a while.": This is correct. Offering presence and emotional support by staying with the client is an appropriate response. It shows empathy and provides the client with comfort in a time of emotional distress. C. "I'm sorry you have to deal with this.": This is less supportive. While it acknowledges the difficulty of the situation, it could unintentionally invalidate the client’s feelings by focusing on the nurse’s perspective rather than the client's experience. D. "When you feel better, we'll talk about your treatment options.": This is not an appropriate response. It minimizes the client’s current emotional needs and may make the client feel that their feelings are not being prioritized. The focus should be on emotional support first.