To assist a patient diagnosed with a somatic system disorder, a nursing intervention of high priority is to:

A) imply that somatic symptoms are not real.
B) help the patient suppress feelings of anger.
C) shift the focus from somatic symptoms to feelings.
D) investigate each physical symptom as soon as it is reported.

Shifting the focus from somatic symptoms to feelings or to neutral topics conveys an interest in the patient as a person rather than as a condition. The need to gain attention with the use of symptoms is reduced over the long term. A desired outcome is that the patient expresses feelings, including anger, if it is present. Once physical symptoms have been investigated, they do not need to be reinvestigated each time the patient reports them.