A helpful way for a nurse assistant (NA) to respond to a patient experiencing hallucinations is to:

• A. Acknowledge the patient's feelings without validating the hallucination and gently redirect their attention to reality.
• B. Agree with the hallucination to make the patient feel understood.
• C. Confront the patient and insist that what they are experiencing is not real.
• D. Ignore the patient until the hallucination passes.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that hallucinations involve perceiving things that are not present in reality, which can be distressing for the patient.
2. Recognize that the nurse assistant's goal is to provide support without reinforcing the hallucination, which means not agreeing with or validating the false perception.
3. Acknowledge the patient's feelings by showing empathy and understanding, which helps the patient feel heard and supported emotionally.
4. Gently redirect the patient's attention to the present reality, helping them focus on what is actually happening around them without directly confronting or dismissing their experience.
5. Avoid ignoring the patient or confronting them aggressively, as these approaches can increase distress or confusion.