You are assessing a 75-year-old woman with mild shortness of breath. As you are asking her questions regarding her chief complaint and medical history, you progressively move closer and closer to her. In doing this, it is important to remember that:

A. placing yourself in the patient's personal space is relaying to her that you can be trusted.
B. as you physically get closer to the patient, a greater and greater sense of trust must be established.
C. it is necessary to enter an older person's intimate space because the elderly are typically hearing impaired.
D. a patient's personal space should not be violated, regardless of any barriers that may hamper communication.

Answer: B. as you physically get closer to the patient, a greater and greater sense of trust must be established.