When assessing a client with anxiety, the nurse's questions should be:
Explanation & Rationale
Choice A reason: Avoiding questions until anxiety is gone delays assessment and intervention. Anxiety often requires immediate evaluation to determine severity, triggers, and safety concerns. Choice B reason: Specific and direct questions are most effective because clients with anxiety may have difficulty concentrating, organizing thoughts, or processing complex information. Direct questioning reduces cognitive load and ensures accurate assessment. Choice C reason: Open-ended questions can overwhelm anxious clients, leading to frustration or inability to respond. While useful in other contexts, they are not ideal during acute anxiety. Choice D reason: Postponing questions until the client volunteers information risks missing critical data. Clients may not spontaneously share important details due to fear, avoidance, or impaired concentration.