The client expresses frustration that the doctor does not spend enough time with her when making rounds. The nurse replies, "The doctors are very busy. What can I help you with?" The nurse incorporated which nontherapeutic technique in this response?

A. Defending is correct because the nurse justified the doctor’s behavior (“The doctors are very busy”), which minimizes the client’s concern instead of validating it. B. Introducing an unrelated topic would shift the focus away completely, but here the nurse stayed on the same subject after defending. C. Disagreeing would directly contradict the client’s statement, which did not occur. D. Belittling would make the client’s feelings seem unimportant or trivial, but the nurse’s statement was more about defending the physician than belittling the client.