In psych nursing, which description defines transference?

• A. The nurse screens for transference.
• B. The client consciously expresses past experiences during care.
• C. The client unconsciously transfers feelings onto the nurse.
• D. The nurse projects feelings onto the client.

Answer: (C)

Transference is when a client unconsciously redirects feelings and attitudes from important people in their past onto the nurse who is providing care. This means reactions to the nurse mirror those earlier relationships, even though the present situation is different. For example, a patient who felt abandoned by a caregiver might react with clinginess or anger toward the nurse, as if the nurse were that past figure. This concept helps explain why a patient might respond emotionally in ways that aren’t exactly about the current care scene.

It’s different from countertransference, which is about the nurse’s own emotions being activated by the client. It’s also not about the client consciously describing past experiences, nor about the nurse’s role in assessing for such experiences.