Deck 54: Psychologic Responses to Illness

Question 1

The patient with low back pain confesses that he drinks heavily each night to help him sleep and control pain.This behavior would be an example of:

A) Alternate pain control methods.
B) Coping with a chronic condition.
C) Using a social coping mechanism.
D) Using a maladaptive coping method.

Answer 1

Using a maladaptive coping method.

Question 2

The wife of a critically injured husband has been at his bedside constantly for 2 days.As the nurse speaks to the wife,the wife sobs,"This is awful.I can't take it anymore." The nurse realizes that the wife is experiencing:

A) Fear
B) Denial
C) Compensation
D) Stress

Answer 2

Stress

Question 3

The stage in which introspection is a major characteristic is:

A) Middle-aged adult
B) Middle childhood
C) Early adulthood
D) Older-age adult

Answer 3

Older-age adult

Question 4

The behavior that best exemplifies developmental activities in a 13-year-old teenager is:

A) Going out with a group of friends.
B) Reading an exciting book.
C) Volunteering for the local hospital.
D) Choosing a career.

Question 5

The nurse recognizes that mild stress can be a positive force that stimulates the patient to _______________ a problem.

A) Deny
B) Identify
C) Solve
D) Avoid

Question 6

The older Italian woman has an egg yolk in a bowl under her bed that she believes is absorbing the evil of her illness and making her feel better.The nurse should:

A) Move the egg yolk out of the way to the bathroom.
B) Replace the egg yolk with a hard-boiled egg.
C) Remove the egg for sanitary purposes.
D) Include maintenance of the egg in the nursing care plan.

Question 7

When the 25-year-old woman who had a hysterectomy 1 day earlier tearfully tells the nurse that she is grieving for the children she will never have,the nurse assesses the grief as positive because it allows the patient to:

A) Focus on her loss.
B) Forget about her concern.
C) Reappraise her values for the future.
D) Depend on others for grief support.

Question 8

The nurse identifies the patient who will experience the greatest cultural impact on his coping with a chronic debilitating illness as the:

A) 26-year-old Hispanic man with a family
B) 30-year-old divorced white man with no dependents
C) 35-year-old Asian wife with a family
D) 65-year-old widowed black church pastor with married children

Question 9

The nurse would describe a patient who has a functional interaction of his cognitive,affective,behavioral,and social dimensions of his personality as:

A) Effectively organized
B) Personally satisfied
C) Well rounded
D) Mentally healthy

Question 10

In planning care for a native-American patient who is taking herbal remedies and nutritional supplements,the nurse should inform the patient that:

A) Herbs and vitamins are not helpful.
B) If herbs and vitamins are not harmful, then they will be integrated into the plan of care.
C) Medical research has shown that such alternative remedies are a waste of money.
D) In the hospital, no physician will prescribe anything other than accepted medical protocols.

Question 11

A 5-year-old patient who was in an accident in which his cousin was killed starts to wet the bed at night.When the mother confirms that it has been several years since the patient had any difficulty with bed wetting,the nurse asks:

A) "Do you think this is related to the accident?"
B) "Do others in the family have this problem?"
C) "Does your child drink lots of fluids late at night?"
D) "Are there any stressful situations in your family?"

Question 12

The mother of a 5-year-old patient says that she is just mortified by his rude vocabulary since he has started school.The nurse reminds her that the best response to this behavior is to:

A) Ignore it.
B) Speak to his teacher about it.
C) Praise him when he speaks properly.
D) Talk about it at the parent-teachers association (PTA).

Question 13

The star quarterback on the high school football team is injured in a motorcycle accident.He will be unable to play football again.In planning his care,an appropriate nursing diagnosis for coping is:

A) Impaired physical mobility
B) Situational low self-esteem
C) Impaired social interaction
D) Impaired comfort

Question 14

The 24-year-old man scheduled for brain surgery in the morning constantly listens to music with his headphones on.The nurse recognizes this as a:

A) Conversion reaction
B) Conscious coping strategy
C) Defense mechanism of undoing
D) Reaction formation

Question 15

The example of a positive stressor is:

A) Test anxiety
B) Loss of a job
C) Paying income tax
D) Single motherhood

Question 16

The nurse is aware that a preschooler's experiences in a kindergarten can help with adapting to:

A) Sexual identity
B) Interpersonal conflicts
C) Independent decision making
D) Self direction

Question 17

The nurse gives an example of a person who is attempting to maintain homeostasis as the newcomer who:

A) Joins a local church.
B) Buys a new car.
C) Stays in his or her apartment watching television.
D) Spends hours writing e-mail messages to old friends.

Question 18

The nurse explains that the difference between fear and anxiety is that fear is a(n):

A) Useless emotion
B) Ineffective coping strategy
C) Irrational feeling
D) Response to a specific threat

Question 19

When the patient is given a diagnosis of cancer,his first statement is,"What did I ever do to deserve God punishing me?" This is an example of:

A) Maladaptive coping
B) Behavioral emotionalism
C) Spiritual distress
D) Spiritual maladaptation

Question 20

The nurse assesses that the 42-year-old patient who still lives with her parents and is dependent on them for decisions about her life is lacking in the mental health characteristic of:

A) Reality orientation
B) Autonomous behavior
C) Spontaneity
D) Ethical decision making

Question 21

When the nurse assesses the social dimension of the patient's persona,the nurse will evaluate how the patient:

A) Interacts with family.
B) Formulates thoughts.
C) Presents self to community.
D) Solves problems.
E) Processes information.

Question 22

The student nurse who was terrified of giving an injection now gives many injections every shift.The change in the nurse is the result of ____________________.

Question 23

The nurse questions the patient as to how he has coped with previous stressful situations,because the nurse is aware that coping strategies are influenced by:

A) Age
B) Financial status
C) Role expectations
D) Personal values
E) Cultural expectations

Question 24

The goal of nursing care for the patient with a chronic illness is to:

A) Find the cause of the illness.
B) Tell the patient that he or she will learn to live with the illness.
C) Help the patient manage the illness.
D) Give the patient web sites that have information about the illness.

Question 25

When the patient is asked whether he wants his pain medication,he says to you,"I don't know,whatever you think is best." The nurse recognizes that this is a maladaptive coping mechanism called:

A) Powerlessness
B) Helplessness
C) Denial
D) Depression

Question 26

The nurse recognizes the defense mechanism of denial when the patient with:

A) Emphysema continues to smoke.
B) Diabetes mellitus uses a sugar substitute.
C) A drug problem blames his mother for his habit.
D) Osteoarthritis angrily kicks the steps that he cannot climb.

Question 27

The nurse explains that according to Maslow,mentally healthy persons have the characteristics of:

A) Acceptance of self
B) Reality orientation
C) Spontaneity
D) Effective problem-solving skills
E) No need for privacy

Question 28

When dealing with a patient who is an alcoholic in denial and claims he only drinks in social situations,the nurse will:

A) Insist that he stop drinking entirely.
B) Point out that the patient is using denial.
C) Help the patient investigate ways to reduce drinking.
D) Provide information on Alcoholics Anonymous.