A nurse working a rape telephone hotline should focus communication with callers to:

A) arrange long-term counseling.
B) serve as a sympathetic listener.
C) obtain information to relay to the local police.
D) explain immediate steps that a victim of rape should take.

The telephone counselor establishes where the victim is and what has happened and provides the necessary information to enable the victim to decide what steps to take immediately. Long-term aftercare is not the focus until immediate problems are resolved. The victim remains anonymous. The incorrect options are inappropriate or incorrect because counselors should be empathic rather than sympathetic.