A 16-year-old boy has just been admitted to the hospital for overnight observation after being in an automobile accident. What is the best approach for the nurse to use to communicate with him?

A) Use periods of silence to communicate respect for him.
B) Be totally honest with him, even if the information is unpleasant.
C) Tell him that everything that is discussed will be kept totally confidential.
D) Use slang language when possible to help him open up.

The guidelines for communicating with adolescents are simple. The first consideration is one's attitude, which must be one of respect. Second, communication must be totally honest. An adolescent's intuition is highly tuned and can detect phoniness or the withholding of information. Always tell him or her the truth. The nurse should avoid periods of silence when communicating with adolescents as silence can be seen as threatening to them. The nurse should not tell an adolescent that everything will be confidential as that is not true. Something need to be reported by law or for the adolescent's well-being. While it is helpful to understand the jargon or slang used by adolescents, the nurse should not use that language as they are not part of the adolescent's peer group and won't be accepted as a peer.