A nurse documents: "Patient is mute, despite repeated efforts to elicit speech. Makes no eye contact. Is inattentive to staff. Gazes off to the side or looks upward rather than at the speaker." Which nursing diagnosis should be considered?

A) Defensive coping
B) Decisional conflict
C) Risk for other-directed violence
D) Impaired verbal communication

Impaired Verbal Communication

A condition where an individual has difficulty in expressing thoughts and ideas clearly through spoken words.

Repeated Efforts

Continuous attempts or actions taken to accomplish a particular goal or overcome obstacles.

Eye Contact

The act of two individuals looking into each other's eyes, which can convey various emotions and social signals.