A nurse in a mental health facility is contributing to the plan of care for a new client. Which of the following actions should the nurse plan to include in the working phase of the nurse-client relationship?

• A. Provide the client with information on problem-solving
• B. Establish a regular meeting time with the client
• C. Collect data about the client's current health status
• D. Determine whether the client's goals are met.

Answer: (C)

In the working phase, the nurse and client actively address problems by gathering information, implementing interventions, and monitoring progress. Collecting data about the client’s current health status is essential because it provides the factual basis for identifying problems, setting realistic goals, and choosing appropriate interventions. This ongoing data collection lets the plan of care be tailored to the client’s needs and adjusted as conditions change. Establishing a regular meeting time belongs to the initial orientation of the relationship, where boundaries and expectations are set. Determining whether goals are met is part of the evaluation phase, which comes after implementing and monitoring interventions. Providing information on problem-solving can occur during the working phase, but without solid data to guide it, it wouldn’t efficiently drive the plan of care.