The student nurse asks why the nurse is documenting the client's nonverbal responses in addition to ...

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Rationale: Both verbal and nonverbal behaviors are important to communication. The behaviors are compared to determine if the client's verbal and nonverbal communication are congruent. Nonverbal communication may carry more meaning than verbal communication. It is important to remain objective when documenting; however, the rationale for documenting both is to evaluate congruence. It is important to be thorough when documenting; however, the rationale for documenting verbal and nonverbal responses is to compare for congruence. The rationale for documenting both verbal and nonverbal is to document for congruence, not because it is or is not hospital policy.