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MH: Trauma and Stress-Related Disorders

Terms in this set (39)

Explore the spouse's feelings, showing care and compassion.
An adult client received a heart transplant five years ago. Multiple medical complications followed, resulting in persistent irritability, depression, and insomnia. The client's spouse says, "I've walked on eggshells for five years, never knowing when something else will go wrong." What is the nurse's first step regarding the spouse?
Excessive appetite

Loss of interest in favorite activities

Headaches and back pain

Difficulty concentrating
When a client complains of being "stressed out," the nurse understands that this label may include what experiences? Select all that apply.
Offer the Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

Identify self-care aspects to add joy, pleasure, and diversion.

Help the nurse reframe struggles and challenges to find meaning.
A nurse is struggling with balancing family and work and has missed several days this quarter. What strategies does the nurse manager offer for support? Select all that apply.
Eustress
A client with a diagnosis of obesity has been participating in a new program of exercise for 60 minutes a day, five times a week to facilitate a weight loss. What type of stress is the client experiencing?
Cognitive behavioral therapy
Which is an example of psychotherapy?
"Don't consume alcohol."

"Coffee should be avoided."

"Keep practicing deep breathing and aerobic exercises."

"Dreaming about the traumatic event is a normal response to your trauma."
A client who survived a bomb blast has symptoms of chronic depression, irritation, and insomnia. Which statement of the nurse is appropriate to be included in the client teaching regarding management guidelines? Select all that apply.
Persistent negative emotions of guilt and shame

Long criminal history of abuse and crime

Unable to sleep throughout the night without nightmares
A client is expressing difficulty with social relationships. What signs of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) does the nurse identify? Select all that apply.
Heart attacks

Depression

Osteoarthritis
A veteran is suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after serving two tours in Afghanistan. What additional co-occurring conditions are associated with PTSD? Select all that apply.
Has reliable family support
A veteran who has come for treatment for depression also has diabetes and heart disease. The veteran states he recently got a divorce. What factor will most support a positive outcome for treatment?
The client is able to manage anxiety.
A nurse is caring for an adult client who has been diagnosed with a trauma-related disorder. The client reports to the nurse that he has started using relaxation techniques and is sleeping better. As what should the nurse interpret this?
Eustress
An employee is working to manage several similar projects to meet a deadline. Which type of stress is this employee experiencing?
Secondary stress trauma
A nurse on a busy medical-surgical unit is complaining of fatigue. What is the most likely cause of fatigue in a nurse who is otherwise healthy?
Dissociation is a method for coping with severe stress
What information should the nurse give to the family of a client who has experienced a dissociative episode?
Teach relaxation and stress reduction techniques to the client.
An individual lives in a community adjacent to a military base. Loud jets fly overhead multiple times daily. The client tells the nurse, "They're so loud I can't hear myself think." What is the nurse's first action?
"The symptoms can occur almost immediately or can take years to manifest."
When discussing the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which statement by the nurse is correct?
The student reports improved feelings of well-being.
A college student has been experiencing significant stress associated with academic demands. Last month, the student began attending yoga sessions three times a week. Which outcome indicates to the nurse that this activity has been successful?
"These clients are like living with my mother and aunt."
A nurse has worked on a mental health unit for an extended period of time. Which statement is best associated with behaviors demonstrated as a result of burnout?
Maintain adequate fluid intake
The nurse is creating a plan of care for a client who is reporting increased stress related to a new position at work. What nursing intervention can address the short-term effects that the stress has on the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal cortex?
Having breakfast with a friend weekly
A client with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is finishing outpatient therapy. What behavior most clearly suggests the client is recovering?
Eustress
A couple is planning a large wedding in a city 100 miles from their home. When the couple tells the nurse this information, which response does the nurse expect to be associated with this experience?
"Are you having any thoughts of harming yourself?"
A nurse conducts an initial interview with a combat veteran. The veteran says, "The war was years ago, but I still remember my friends who were killed. I don't know why I lived and they died." What is the nurse's priority response?
Parasympathetic nervous system
The client is learning to relax during a stress reduction series. Which system is activated?
"Do you experience flashbacks of the rape?"
Which question is the most appropriate to ask when assessing a patient for supportive signs and symptoms for a potential diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related to a sexual assault?
Psychological stress
A client may experience which short-term reaction in response to a traffic accident involving death on the scene?
Hypervigilance
Which behavior best supports the diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a 4-year-old child?
Psychological
A client reports feeling anxious while at work due to an overwhelming assignment. Which type of stressor is this client exhibiting?
Epinephrine
An individual is running to escape a tornado. Which chemical is working to help this person?
Flashbacks of the accident

Hypervigilance

Irritability

Difficulty concentrating
Which symptoms would lead a health care provider to suspect posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in an adult client? Select all that apply.
"I don't have any really good friends, just acquaintances."

"Marriage doesn't work for me; I've been divorced three times."

"My partner is always upset because I can't seem to keep a job."

"Controlling my anger is a big problem for me."
Which client statements support the existence of a comorbid condition characteristically associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? Select all that apply.
"The sudden death of your spouse is hard to accept. I am glad you are able to tell me about how you are feeling."
A client's spouse was killed during a robbery 10 days ago. The client, who has a long history of mental illness, cries spontaneously when talking to the nurse about the loss. What is the nurse's most therapeutic response?
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy
The nurse is caring for a child who has survived a car accident but does not remember anything that took place during the accident. Which therapy does the nurse adopt to help the child regain memory of the car accident?
Tachycardia
The client is being admitted for short-term effects of a stress event. What is the nurse likely to find during the assessment?
Cognitive behavioral therapy
After a sexual assault, a college student was treated in the emergency department, diagnosed with acute stress disorder, and referred for counseling. Which is the most likely approach to counseling for this client?
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)
The client is reporting disturbing flashbacks after serving in the Army. After several cognitive therapy sessions, which drug is mostlikely to be recommended for this client?
"You are describing flashbacks. These often happen after traumatic events such as war. I'd like to arrange for you to talk more about your feelings and reactions."
While conducting an initial interview, the client, a war veteran, shares with the nurse that "Sometimes I still hear explosions, but I know I am safe in my home." What is the nurse's best response?
Reduce medication errors

Develop self-care skills.

Identify signs of depression.

Discuss healthy work relationships.

Develop a professional support team.
The nurse manager is working on a unit support process to prevent compassion fatigue for a busy oncology unit. Which characteristics should be included in the program goals? Select all that apply.
Explore the spouse's feelings, showing care and compassion.
An adult client received a heart transplant five years ago. Multiple medical complications followed, resulting in persistent irritability, depression, and insomnia. The client's spouse says, "I've walked on eggshells for five years, never knowing when something else will go wrong." What is the nurse's first step regarding the spouse?
Symptoms resolve within 1 month
What is the defining characteristic of acute stress disorder that distinguishes it from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
A 4-year-old client, who survived a severe car accident that resulted in the mother's death, is withdrawn, not sleeping, having nightmares, and acting out the car accident over and over again when playing. The father reports the client says repeatedly, "It's my fault because I'm bad." These behaviors support which diagnosis?
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