Stress & Adaptation NClex Questions – Flashcards
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A client expresses to the nurse that she constantly feels irritated and loses her temper. During the course of the interview, the nurse finds that the client takes care of her mother who was confined to bed following a stroke. The client struggles to balance caring for her family and her mother. Which nrusing diagnosis would the nurse most likely identify for this client? a) Compromised family adjustment b) Caregiver role strain c) Ineffective coping d) Anxiety
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b) Caregiver role strain Explanation: The most appropriate nursing diagnosis is caregiver role strain because the client feels tired and fatigued by struggling to care for her mother and fulfilling family needs. Ineffective coping, compromised family adjustment, and anxiety would be inappropriate nursing diagnoses based on the information provided.
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A middle-aged woman's father has passed away, and her mother requires physical and emotional help due to disabilities. The woman is married and raising two children, along with working full time. All of the factors described are a) Stressors b) Demands c) Illnesses d) Stimuli
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Stressors Explanation: Stress is defined as any event or set of events, a stressor, that causes a response. Everyday triggers associated with work or social relationships, and uncommon events such as natural disasters, physical trauma, injuries, illnesses, divorce, death of a loved one, or loss of a job are commonly recognized stressors.
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An adolescent entering high school voices anxiety over changing schools. Stating anxiety is an act of a) Valuation b) Adaptation c) Evaluation d) Reaction
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Adaptation Explanation: Adaptation is generally considered a person's capacity to flourish and survive, even with diversity.
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You are the nurse caring for a 72-year-old female who is recovering from abdominal surgery on the Medical Surgical unit. The surgery was very stressful and prolonged and you note on the chart that her blood sugars are elevated yet she in not been diagnosed with diabetes. To what do you attribute this elevation in blood sugars? a) It is a result of antidiuretic hormone. b) She must have had diabetes prior to surgery. c) She has become a diabetic from the abdominal surgery. d) The blood sugars are probably a result of the "fight-or-flight" reaction.
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The blood sugars are probably a result of the "fight-or-flight" reaction. Explanation: During stressful situations, ACTH stimulates the release of cortisol from the adrenal gland, which creates protein catabolism releasing amino acids and stimulating the liver to convert amino acids to glucose, the result is elevated blood sugars. Option A is incorrect, antidiuretic hormone is released during stressful situations and stimulates reabsorption of water in the distal and collecting tubules of the kidney. Option B is incorrect; assuming the patient had diabetes prior to surgery demonstrates a lack of understanding of stress induced hyperglycemia. Option C is incorrect, there is no evidence presented in the question other than are elevated blood sugars that would support a diagnosis of diabetes.
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A nurse is assessing an obese teenager who is unhappy and stressed out because she has not lost weight despite working out at the gym. The physician asks the nurse to try the modeling intervention for stress management for the client. Which of the following actions should the nurse perform when adhering to the modeling intervention? a) Ask the client to undergo liposuction surgery. b) Ask the client to change her exercise regimen. c) Ask the client to cut down on her food intake. d) Introduce the client to someone with a positive attitude.
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Introduce the client to someone with a positive attitude. Explanation: The nurse should introduce the client to a person who demonstrates a positive attitude or behavior as this promotes the ability to learn an adaptive response. The nurse should not ask the client to change her exercise regime, cut down on her food intake, or undergo liposuction surgery as that could lead to further medical complications.
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Which of the following is a physiological response experienced during the exhaustion stage of general adaptation syndrome? a) Increased mental alertness b) Vasoconstriction c) The initiation of neuroendocrine activity d) Decreased blood pressure
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Decreased blood pressure Explanation: The stage of exhaustion is often accompanied by decreased blood pressure and vasodilation. Increased mental alertness and the initiation of neuroendocrine activity are associated with the alarm reaction of the GAS.
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You walk into your patients' room and find her sobbing uncontrollably. When you ask what the problem is your patient responds "I am so scared. I have never known anyone who goes into a hospital and comes out alive." On this patient's care plan you note a nursing diagnosis of "Ineffective coping related to stress". What is the best outcome you can expect for this patient? a) Patient will avoid stressful situations. b) Patient will start anti-anxiety agent. c) Patient will adapt relaxation techniques to reduce stress. d) Patient will be stress free.
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Patient will adapt relaxation techniques to reduce stress. Explanation: Stress management is directed toward reducing and controlling stress and improving coping. The outcome for this diagnosis is that the patient needs to adopt coping mechanisms that are effective for dealing with stress, such as relaxation techniques. The other options are incorrect because it is unrealistic to expect a patient to be stress free; avoiding stressful situations and starting an anti-anxiety agent are not the best answers as outcomes for ineffective coping.
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The nurse would recognize that short-term pharmacological treatment may be appropriate if an anxious patient's nursing diagnoses includes which of the following? a) Social isolation b) Decisional conflict c) Disturbed sleep pattern d) Defensive coping
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Disturbed sleep pattern Explanation: The nurse should recognize that diagnoses relating to conflict, coping, and decisional conflict are less amenable to pharmacologic treatment. Disturbances in sleep patterns, however, are often addressed by the appropriate use of hypnotic medications.
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When discussing his problem, a client tells the nurse that he is always doing small, petty jobs for everyone and he is not happy about it. Because of this, he is feeling stressed and has been getting into fights with his wife. What should the nurse suggest to help the client overcome this problem? a) Avoid doing petty jobs. b) Take control of the situation. c) Change jobs. d) Avoid people who dump tasks on him.
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Take control of the situation. Explanation: A behavioral technique for modifying stress is to take control rather than become immobilized. This is also known as alternative behavior. Another behavioral approach to reduce stress is to sometimes say "no," in order to avoid becoming overwhelmed and more stressed. Changing jobs or avoiding the person or the petty jobs would not help.
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The children of a 60-year-old woman are distraught at her apparent lack of recovery following a stroke several weeks earlier. The patient's daughter has frequently directed harsh criticism toward the nurses, accusing them of a substandard effort in rehabilitating her mother despite their best efforts. What defense mechanism may the patient's daughter be exhibiting? a) Sublimation b) Regression c) Displacement d) Denial
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Displacement Explanation: The daughter may be transferring her feelings about her mother's health status to the care providers, an act that involves the displacement of the emotional reaction to another person. Denial about her mother's potential for recovery may underlie her response, but this is not demonstrated as clearly as displacement.
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The nurse is interviewing a client with complaints of chronic fatigue. The nurse understands that the client has a sedentary lifestyle and suggests that the client start low-intensity exercise. Which of the following exercises would be appropriate for the nurse to suggest the client engage in initially? a) Brisk walking b) Running c) Cycling d) Gardening
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Gardening Explanation: The nurse should suggest that the client start with gardening, which is a low-intensity exercise and is particularly good preparation for sedentary persons before they progress to more vigorous aerobic exercise. Running, cycling, and brisk walking are vigorous aerobic exercises.
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The nurse is caring for a client who is a doctor in a general hospital. He complains about the stressful condition of his job. Lately, he has become increasingly susceptible to colds, headaches, muscular tension, excessive tiredness, and many other symptoms. At what stage of stress is the client? a) Secondary stage b) Exhaustion stage c) Alarm stage d) Resistance stage
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Exhaustion stage Explanation: The client is in the exhaustion stage when one or more adaptive/resistive mechanisms can no longer protect the person experiencing a stressor; this results in exhaustion. The effects of stress-related neurohormones suppress the immune system and the body is open to various ailments. In the alarm stage, the person is prepared for a fight-or-flight response. In the resistance stage, the client's body is returned to the homeostasis state. Consequently, one or more organs or physiologic processes may eventually lead to increased vulnerability to stress-related disorders or progression to the stage of exhaustion. The secondary stage is not a stage related to stress.
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A client who is a drug addict visits a health care facility for treatment. During counseling, he discloses that he took to drugs because it helped him deal with stressful situations. The nurse explains that he is not using the correct coping strategy to overcome his stress-related problems. What kind of strategy has the client used in this case? a) Stress-reduction strategy b) Therapeutic coping strategy c) Antidepressant strategy d) Non-therapeutic coping strategy
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Non-therapeutic coping strategy Explanation: The client has used non-therapeutic coping strategies such as mind- and mood-altering substances to cope with stress. Negative coping strategies may provide immediate temporary relief from a stressor, but they eventually cause problems. Therapeutic coping strategies usually help the person to acquire insight, gain confidence to confront reality, and develop emotional maturity. Also, the client has not used an antidepressant strategy.
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A nurse is caring for a client who is an investment banker. The client is stressed because of the sudden fall of share prices in the stock exchange. Which of the following stress-reduction techniques should the nurse use with this client? a) Discourage family from interacting with the client. b) Advocate on behalf of the client to others. c) Avoid referring the client to other organizations. d) Avoid discussing the client's condition with client's family.
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Advocate on behalf of the client to others. Explanation: The nurse should advocate on behalf of the client to others. If need be, the nurse should refer the client and his family to organizations or people who provide post-discharge assistance. The nurse should keep the client and the client's family informed about the client's condition and encourage the family members to interact with the client.
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A nurse is trying to assess a client's stress type; however, the client is very depressed and quiet and does not reply to the nurse's questions. The nurse is unable to maintain her calm while repeating the questions. Where is the nurse going wrong in assessing the client? a) The nurse should demonstrate confidence and expertise. b) The nurse should take help from the senior physician. c) The nurse should not assess the client's stress type. d) The nurse should calm him first by giving him a sedative.
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The nurse should demonstrate confidence and expertise. Explanation: Some general interventions appropriate during the care of the client who is suffering from stress include remaining calm during the discussions with the client, being available to the client, responding promptly to the client's signal for assistance, and encouraging family interaction. However, taking the help of a senior physician or giving the client a sedative would not help in assessing the client. The nurse has to assess the client's type of stress.
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Upon arrival to the emergency room, the mother of a patient involved in a motor vehicle accident becomes upset when she learns her son is unconscious and unstable. The mother begins to yell at the emergency room staff in unintelligible words, and she is trembling. She becomes short of breath and yells she can't breathe. What is the mother likely experiencing? a) Severe anxiety b) A panic attack c) Mild anxiety d) Moderate anxiety
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A panic attack Explanation: Panic causes the person to lose control and experience dread and terror. Panic is characterized by a disorganized state, increased physical activity, difficulty communicating, agitation, trembling, dyspnea, palpitations, a choking sensation, and sensations of chest pressure or pain. Severe anxiety creates a narrow focus on specific detail; moderate anxiety leads to a focus on immediate concerns; and mild anxiety is often present in day-to-day living, and it increases alertness and perceptual fields.
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As an occupational health nurse at an oil refinery on the Gulf coast of Texas you are doing patient education with a man in his mid-forties. The patient is being seen after having been exposed to a chemical spill at the refinery. What type of stressor has this patient been exposed to? a) Psychiatric b) Psychosocial c) Physiologic d) Physical
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Physical Explanation: Physical stressors include cold, heat, and chemical agents; physiologic stressors include pain and fatigue. These facts make the other options incorrect.
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A high school student comes to the nurse's office to discuss her anxiety regarding an upcoming test. Her test-taking anxiety is a(an) a) Adjustment b) Concern c) Threat d) Stressor
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Stressor Explanation: Stress, coping, and adaptation are interrelated. Survival depends upon successful coping responses to ordinary and sometimes extraordinary circumstances and challenges.
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The client is a 5-year-old child hospitalized for a surgical procedure. The client is bedwetting. The parents report this is a new behavior and their child is toilet trained. The nurse assesses the client is exhibiting the defense mechanism of a) displacement. b) reaction formation. c) compensation. d) regression.
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regression. Explanation: Regression is a maladaptive behavior in which the client returns to an earlier method of behaving as seen in the child who is now bedwetting. Compensation is overcoming a perceived weakness by emphasizing a more desirable trait. Displacement is transferring an emotional reaction from one object or person to another. Reaction formation is exhibiting behaviors that are the opposite of what the client would really like to do.
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Which of the following nurses is most likely to experience the greatest amount of stress related to his or her position as a nurse? a) A graduate nurse working on a telemetry unit b) A nurse with 1 year of experience working on an oncology unit c) A nurse who is an editor of a nursing journal d) A nurse with 10 years of experience working as a nurse educator
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A graduate nurse working on a telemetry unit Explanation: Stress is often greater for new graduate nurses and nurses who work in settings such as an intensive care unit and emergency care.
