Active, Reflective, and Empathetic Listening for PC Triage Nurse

What is a key component of active listening?

• Thinking about what to say next

• Multitasking during the conversation

• Smiling while you talk and summarizing what you hear

• Offering solutions immediately

Which behavior interferes with active listening?

• Paraphrasing the speaker’s message

• Interrupting to share your opinion

• Maintaining an open posture

• Asking clarifying questions

When practicing active listening during a triage call, what should you focus on most?

• Diagnosing the patient quickly

• Writing your notes while the patient speaks

• Fully understanding the patient’s concerns before responding

• Planning your next task

What is reflective listening?

• Repeating the exact words back to the speaker

• Agreeing with the speaker

• Restating or paraphrasing what the speaker said to confirm understanding

• Thinking about the speaker’s tone after the call

Which of the following is an example of reflective listening?

• “I understand.”

• “So you’re saying the pain started after you ate dinner, and it’s sharp and in your lower right side?”

• “That’s probably just gas.”

• “You should take Tylenol and rest.”

Why is reflective listening especially important in telephone triage?

• It helps end the call more quickly

• It shows patients you're writing everything down

• It confirms clinical details, builds trust, and prevents misunderstanding

• It avoids needing to use protocols

What is the primary goal of empathetic listening?

• To solve the problem immediately

• To validate the speaker’s emotions and perspective

• To make small talk to build rapport

• To control the conversation

Which of the following responses demonstrates empathetic listening?

• “That’s not something to worry about.”

• “Try not to panic—it’s probably nothing.”

• “That sounds really scary. It makes sense you're feeling overwhelmed right now.”

• “You should have called sooner.”

A parent says, “I’m just so scared something is really wrong.” What is the best empathetic response?

• “Calm down. I need you to answer some questions.”

• “Let’s stay focused and go through the symptoms.”

• “I hear that you’re scared, and I want to make sure we take this seriously.”

• “You’re probably overthinking it, but let’s check.”

Why are open-ended questions important in telephone triage?

• They help end the call more quickly

• They encourage the caller to give more detailed information

• They allow you to control the conversation better

• They limit the caller’s response to yes or no