What competency should a nurse use to help a client clarify personal health problems?

The competency of counseling is crucial in helping clients clarify their personal health problems. Counselors engage with clients in a supportive and empathetic manner, facilitating an environment where individuals feel safe to express their concerns, thoughts, and feelings about their health issues. This relationship enables the client to explore health problems more deeply, assess their impact, and consider possible solutions or coping strategies.

Counseling also involves active listening, the ability to ask open-ended questions, and providing feedback that assists clients in recognizing patterns, options, and solutions to their health issues. By utilizing counseling techniques, the nurse can guide the client toward greater self-awareness and empower them to make informed decisions regarding their health. This process is instrumental in promoting personal insight and fostering a sense of control over health-related choices.

In contrast, other competencies such as educating, advocating, and coordinating, while valuable in their own contexts, do not specifically focus on the individual’s personal exploration of health concerns in the way that counseling does. Education provides information, advocacy supports the client's rights and access to care, and coordination manages resources and services; however, none directly engage the client in the introspective dialogue needed to clarify personal health problems.