A nursing instructor is teaching about the application of Peplaus theory to nursing care. Which student statement indicates that learning has occurred?
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A
The nurse assumes the role of a parenting figure, instructing the client in good health practices.
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B
The nurse is concerned more about psychosocial functioning than physiological functioning.
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C
The nurse bases the client care plan on standardized nursing approaches and physician orders.
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D
The nurse applies principles of human relations to the problems that arise at all levels of experience.
The interpretation supported by the scenario is The nurse applies principles of human relations to the problems that arise at all levels of experience..
A. The nurse assumes the role of a parenting figure, instructing the client in good health practices.
This reflects a related idea, but it fits best when the idea in “The nurse assumes the role of a parenting figure, instructing the client in good health practices.” addresses a different mechanism or priority than the one emphasized by the stem The wording does not track the stem’s main cue, so selecting it would shift the nurse away from the most precise interpretation or priority.
B. The nurse is concerned more about psychosocial functioning than physiological functioning.
This might be chosen when the idea in “The nurse is concerned more about psychosocial functioning than physiological functioning.” addresses a different mechanism or priority than the one emphasized by the stem The wording does not track the stem’s main cue, so selecting it would shift the nurse away from the most precise interpretation or priority.
C. The nurse bases the client care plan on standardized nursing approaches and physician orders.
This could seem tempting if the idea in “The nurse bases the client care plan on standardized nursing approaches and physician orders.” addresses a different mechanism or priority than the one emphasized by the stem The wording does not track the stem’s main cue, so selecting it would shift the nurse away from the most precise interpretation or priority.
D. The nurse applies principles of human relations to the problems that arise at all levels of experience.
This fits because Peplau applied interpersonal theory to nursing practice and, most specifically, to nurseclient relationship development. Need: Psychosocial Integrity Developmental theories help the nurse connect present coping and relationship patterns to age-expected tasks, which can inform realistic goals, communication style, and supportive interventions. From a nursing standpoint, this selection guides assessment and interventions toward what is most clinically meaningful in the moment—risk reduction, safety, accurate appraisal, and support for adaptive coping.
Conclusion
The stem provides enough information to select the most accurate interpretation without adding extra assumptions. The chosen answer reflects the correct framework, and the remaining choices drift toward incomplete, premature, or misdirected reasoning.