A 12-year-old male is happy about starting growth hormone therapy to be as tall as friends. Which response is best for the nurse to provide?

• A. Being taller is important to you and taking your injections will help achieve that goal.
• B. You must remember that this treatment regimen is not always effective.
• C. You will grow with this medicine, and are likely to be taller than anyone in your family.
• D. Although being tall is important to you, remember there are far more important characteristics than height.

Answer: (A)

Focusing on the teen’s goal and partnering in care is the best approach. The chosen response validates that being taller is important to him and frames the injections as a way to work toward that goal. This supports motivation and adherence by aligning treatment with what the patient values, and it does so honestly without making guarantees that can’t be promised. It also avoids overpromising or minimizing the goal. Other options either give false assurances about perfect or guaranteed results, promise outcomes that may not occur, or shift the conversation away from the patient’s stated priority.