When conducting a spiritual assessment of a hospitalized patient, the nurse should remain aware of which potential barrier to effective communication?

A) Clarifying the meaning of a patient's statement
B) Multi-tasking while talking to the patient
C) Listening to patients' complete statements
D) Discussing patient's feelings while hospitalized

Several barriers may result in the nurses' inability to be totally present and communicate effectively with the patient. First, the nurse may be distracted by other things and may not pay attention to the patient. Multi-tasking while trying to listen to a patient may be a barrier to effective communication. Second, the nurses may miss the meaning of the patient's message because of failure to clarify the meaning of a word, a phrase, or a facial expression. Third, the nurse may interject personal feelings and reactions into the patient's situation rather than allow the patient to explore and discuss his own feelings and reactions. The last barrier occurs when the nurse is busy formulating a response while the patient is still talking. In this instance, the nurse never hears the patient's message.