Deck 25: Stress and Coping

Question 1

A nurse works on an oncology unit and has a lot of stress in her life.Which of the following situational factors would be considered work stress?

A) Caring for a family member who has Alzheimer's disease
B) Being diagnosed with a chronic back injury
C) Finding out that a parent has lung cancer
D) Having a disagreement with her nurse manager

Answer 1

Having a disagreement with her nurse manager

Question 2

A 48-year-old nurse is complaining of being continually exhausted because of the workload on her unit.She states that "the patients are getting heavier and the halls are getting longer.Sometimes I just don't think I can get through the day." The nurse is dealing with stress caused by:

A) situational factors.
B) maturational factors.
C) sociocultural factors.
D) compassion fatigue.

Answer 2

situational factors.

Question 3

The nursing student has severe test anxiety.When he receives a test in class,his heart rate increases,he feels more mentally alert,and his pupils dilate.According to the general adaptation theory,the nursing student should identify this response as what stage of the body's reaction to stress?

A) Alarm
B) Resistance
C) Adaptation
D) Exhaustion

Answer 3

Alarm

Question 4

A 4-year-old boy has been admitted to the hospital with pneumonia.He has been in the hospital for 3 days and has suddenly started to become incontinent of urine.The nurse knows that this is most likely a result of what ego-defense mechanism?

A) Compensation
B) Conversion
C) Denial
D) Regression

Question 5

A patient and family attend a counseling session.The patient has become depressed after a job loss.The nurse leading the counseling session informs the patient and his family that this type of crisis is caused by:

A) situational factors.
B) maturational factors.
C) sociocultural factors.
D) compassion fatigue.

Question 6

The nurse works in a small clinic with two other nurses and a nurse practitioner.Recently the nurse has been staying at work longer than usual.His neighbor,a patient at the clinic,asks one of the other employees at the clinic how the nurse is coping since his wife left him.The nurse had not shared this information with his co-workers.The nurse may be coping with his loss with which of the following?

A) Compensation
B) Conversion
C) Denial
D) Dissociation

Question 7

The nurse has recently been promoted to a new management position in her hospital.She is concerned about her new responsibilities and has found that she is having difficulty sleeping at night.This is an example of what ego-defense mechanism?

A) Compensation
B) Denial
C) Conversion
D) Displacement

Question 8

A nurse has been working overtime because of high hospital census and a decreased work force.The nurse is concerned about the danger of work-related burnout or compassion fatigue.To combat this risk,the nurse should:

A) increase nursing responsibilities at work.
B) take control over new areas at work to reduce stress.
C) strengthen relationships outside of the hospital.
D) hang out with co-workers when not at work.

Question 9

The nurse is assigned a patient who has experienced the alarm reaction and continues to recover.The nurse knows that the primary hormone impacting the stress response in the resistance stage of the general adaptation syndrome is:

A) vasopressin.
B) adrenaline.
C) noradrenaline.
D) cortisol.

Question 10

The student nurse was late for clinical rounds because she had to change the tire on her car.She is in the process of preparing pain medication for her patient when her nursing instructor asks her to identify the drug classification of the medication that she is preparing.The student nurse is very frustrated,becomes tearful,and states,"I can't seem to crush this tablet correctly." This reaction to the instructor is most likely a result of what ego-defense mechanism?

A) Compensation
B) Displacement
C) Denial
D) Dissociation

Question 11

The nurse is administering flu vaccines.One of the children who is scheduled to receive the vaccine is afraid of needles and is tearful,and his younger brother is trying to calm him down.The nurse knows that the tearful child has evaluated this event as challenging and therefore is experiencing psychological stress caused by which of the following?

A) Primary appraisal
B) Coping
C) Secondary appraisal
D) Dissociation

Question 12

The patient,a busy executive who works 80 hours a week,is admitted for angina.The patient is demonstrating physical signs of stress related to the work environment.An appropriate nursing intervention for this patient includes releasing muscle tension every 2 hours.This type of intervention is best known as:

A) regular exercise.
B) assertiveness training.
C) cognitive therapy.
D) progressive muscle relaxation.

Question 13

The nurse is interviewing a patient who claims to be in the middle of a crisis situation.The nurse should: (Select all that apply.)

A) determine the patient's view of the situation.
B) be aware that denial is never a coping mechanism for people in crisis.
C) point out that the patient is repeating information and ask him to stop.
D) assess for the potential for suicide/homicide.
E) assess coping mechanisms and support systems.

Question 14

A patient complains of pain.The nursing order calls for pain medication via injection.The patient is afraid of needles.The nurse can assist the patient through this stressful incident by encouraging the patient to think of a relaxing situation.The nurse's actions can be identified as:

A) restorative care.
B) cognitive therapy.
C) assertiveness training.
D) progressive muscle relaxation.

Question 15

A patient telephones a crisis intervention hotline.The nurse assigned to this center assesses that the patient is experiencing a crisis.What is the most appropriate action for the nurse to take?

A) Take control of the situation and tell the patient what needs to be done.
B) Define the problem at hand and ensure that the patient is safe.
C) Ask the patient how he would like to handle the crisis and follow through.
D) Ask the patient to list all of his problems and prioritize which to deal with first.

Question 16

The nurse is talking to a patient who was involved in a motor vehicle accident.The patient asks the nurse why there was no sensation of pain at the time of the accident.The best explanation would be:

A) "Vasopressin was released to decrease pain sensation."
B) "Endorphins are released during a time of stress to reduce pain."
C) "Alcohol reduces the perception of stress when injury occurs."
D) "You probably have chronic high levels of cortisol to help with chronic pain."

Question 17

A new nurse is looking for a staff nurse position.She had several instances during clinical rotations in nursing school in which she was late because she studied until the early hours of the morning.According to her circadian rhythm she would be best suited for which of the following positions?

A) Full-time 8-hour day/evening rotation
B) Part-time 12-hour day/night rotation position
C) Full-time 12-hour night position
D) Full-time 8-hour day position

Question 18

An older adult patient in a long-term care facility recently had a stroke after experiencing a myocardial infarction.The patient is not speaking or eating.The nurse notices an adverse change in vital signs.When a patient is unable to resist the effects of a stressor,the nurse can identify this stage of the general adaptation system as:

A) an alarm reaction.
B) the resistance stage.
C) the exhaustion stage.
D) a fight-or-flight response.

Question 19

A patient who was injured in a motor vehicle accident is taken via ambulance to the emergency department.The nurse performing the physical assessment knows that,according to the general adaptation syndrome,the patient should be expected to exhibit:

A) increased blood flow to the intestines.
B) increased heart rate.
C) decreased blood pressure.
D) decreased blood glucose levels.

Question 20

The patient has severe injuries.The nurse knows that the general adaptation syndrome (GAS)was viewed as a reaction to stress consisting of: (Select all that apply.)

A) a pattern of alarm.
B) deleterious consequences.
C) a stage of resistance.
D) developmental impairment.
E) a state of exhaustion.