Deck 13: Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders

Question 1

Which of the following statements regarding the individual responses to trauma and stressors is a positive outcome?

A) Many individuals are unable to cope with the event, manage their stress and emotions, or resume the daily activities of their lives.
B) Some individuals may develop enhanced coping as a result of dealing with the stressor.
C) These events are only significant in individuals who have risk for or actual mental health problems or issues.
D) Large numbers or groups of people may be affected by a traumatic event.

Answer 1

Some individuals may develop enhanced coping as a result of dealing with the stressor.

Question 2

What is the major difference between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and acute stress disorder?

A) In acute stress disorder, the client is likely to develop exacerbation of symptoms.
B) In PTSD, the recovery rate is 80% within 3 months.
C) The severity and duration of the trauma are the most important variables in acute stress disorder.
D) In PTSD, the symptoms occur 3 months or more after the trauma.

Answer 2

In PTSD, the symptoms occur 3 months or more after the trauma.

Question 3

Which of the following statements about posttraumatic stress disorder is accurate?

A) Estimates are that the disorder is very rare.
B) Estimates are that up to 60% of people at risk develop PTSD.
C) Only 20% of victims of rape develop PTSD.
D) PTSD symptoms usually begin at the time of the trauma

Answer 3

Estimates are that up to 60% of people at risk develop PTSD.

Question 4

Which of the following might the nurse recognize as longer-term responses to trauma and stress? Select all that apply.

A) Acute stress disorder
B) Posttraumatic stress disorder
C) Adjustment disorder
D) Reactive attachment disorder
E) Dissociative disorder

Question 5

Which of the following would the nurse know are the major elements of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? Select all that apply.

A) Trying to avoid any places or people or situations that may trigger memories of the trauma
B) Reexperiencing the trauma through dreams or recurrent and intrusive thoughts
C) Becoming increasingly more isolated
D) Emotional numbing such as feeling detached from others
E) Being on guard, irritable, or experiencing hyperarousal

Question 6

Which of the following are events that a person may experience, witness, or be confronted by that may trigger posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? Select all that apply.

A) Being a survivor of a tsunami that resulted in thousands of deaths
B) Being stranded at the office during a typical winter storm that was anticipated
C) Being a marine in a combat situation where the entire platoon was wiped out except for one person
D) Being hidden in a closet and hearing the entire family murdered by someone who broke into the home
E) Watching televised segments of the moment when the plane hit the second tower on 9/11

Question 7

Three years after the death of her father in an ICU, the infection prevention nurse was visiting an ICU in a different hospital to complete a chart review. At one point, the nurse looked at a bed where the patient who had the same diagnosis as her father had and saw her father's facial features on the patient and had a sense of panic. In a few moments, the nurse realized that the patient in the bed was not her father. Which of these manifestations of PTSD was this nurse experiencing?

A) A flashback
B) Emotional numbing
C) Hyperarousal
D) A dream

Question 8

A client is seeking counseling due to difficulty coping with being a victim of a violent attack 16 months ago. The initial medical diagnosis is to rule out posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Which would the nurse assess for when determining the major elements of PTSD? Select all that apply.

A) Reexperiencing the trauma through dreams or recurrent and intrusive thoughts
B) Showing emotional numbing such as feeling detached from others
C) Being on guard, irritable, or experiencing hyperarousal
D) Feeling mildly anxious
E) Occurs 2 weeks after the trauma

Question 9

A man is discovered wandering the street, looking confused and stepping out into traffic. When emergency responders approach the man, he cannot recall his name or where he lives. The responders transport the man to the mental health crisis unit for further evaluation. Which of the following are the man most likely suffering from? Select all that apply.

A) Depersonalization disorder
B) Dissociative identity disorder
C) Repressed memories
D) Dissociative amnesia
E) False memory syndrome

Question 10

The police find a woman wandering around a parking lot, singing very loudly. They bring her to the hospital; she has no knowledge of what she has been doing for the past 12 hours and is dressed in unfamiliar clothing. This is an example of

A) dissociation.
B) manipulation.
C) psychosis.
D) regression.

Question 11

Which of the following statements by the nurse would be most appropriate to a colleague who very quietly and numbly tells the nurse that she had arrived at the scene of an automobileñpedestrian accident and unsuccessfully performed CPR on a victim 3 days ago? The nurse and her colleague are sitting in the break room and no one else is present.

A) Tell me what you saw.
B) That is horrible!
C) Why did you perform CPR?
D) I know how you feel; the same thing happened to me several years ago and I never recovered.

Question 12

Which of the following outcomes would take priority for a client who has survived trauma or abuse? Select all that apply.

A) The client will demonstrate healthy, effective ways of dealing with the stress.
B) The client will be physically safe.
C) The client will establish a social support system in the community.
D) The client will distinguish between ideas of self-harm and taking action on those ideas.
E) The client will express emotions nondestructively.

Question 13

A fireman survived a fire after escaping a blaze. Several other firefighters were trapped in the burning building and died. After working with this firefighter in counseling, the nurse evaluates which of the following as positive outcomes for this client? Which will the nurse evaluate as positive outcomes for this client? Select all that apply.

A) The client will verbalize feelings of stress related to returning to work.
B) The client will express guilt openly through nondestructive means.
C) The client will identify a social support system within the community.
D) The client will report nightmares and flashbacks of the fire.

Question 14

Which of the following is true about the use of touch with a client with dissociative identity disorder?

A) It is best not to touch the client without his or her permission.
B) Make sure the client knows the touch is friendly and supportive.
C) Touch the client only if you are in his or her direct line of vision.
D) Touching will convey a sense of security to the client.

Question 15

Which of the following interventions would be most effective for friends and family members to implement in order to boost the self-esteem of a person who has just experienced trauma or abuse?

A) To identify a list of support people or activities in the community
B) To remind them to calm down when they appear to be experiencing a flashback
C) To encourage them to tell their story repeatedly to everyone they meet
D) To help them to refocus their view of themselves from being victims to being survivors

Question 16

A nurse is providing education about trauma and its effects to a community group in a community that has just been hit by a devastating tornado. One of the participants asked about what kind of support a survivor of the tornado will need. Which would be the best response of the nurse?

A) If a person is willing to share his or her feelings about what has happened, he or she is not dealing with their feelings effectively.
B) It is counterproductive for people to share what has happened to them and their feelings about it as there is nothing more to be done.
C) If a person is reluctant to share his or her feelings, he or she may be denying his or her importance and may be at increased risk for future problems such as PTSD.
D) It is best to wait until a survivor's life has returned to normal before dealing with the trauma.

Question 17

Which of the following should be an action of a nurse who is having feelings of judgment regarding a client's contributory behavior to an automobile accident that resulted in deaths?

A) Discussing the nurse's personal feelings with a peer or a counselor
B) Acknowledging the judgment regarding the client's contributory behavior to the client
C) Sharing the client's horror and encouraging him or her to avoid thinking about it
D) Letting the client know that he or she is now traumatized beyond repair