During assessment, which method is least likely to help RPNs understand a patient’s behavior?

The choice of ignoring patient feedback is least likely to help Registered Psychiatric Nurses gain an understanding of a patient’s behavior because this approach dismisses the valuable insights that patients can provide about their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Patient feedback is crucial for accurately interpreting behaviors, as it can reveal underlying motivations, triggers, and contexts that may not be observable through direct assessment methods alone.

Additionally, behavioral observations, self-report questionnaires, and verbal interviews are all methods that actively engage the patient and collect crucial information about their experiences and behaviors. Each of these techniques provides different perspectives that help to create a more complete picture of the patient's mental health and well-being. In contrast, ignoring feedback not only limits understanding but can also negatively impact the therapeutic relationship, as it suggests a disregard for the patient’s voice in their care process.