The nurse is assessing a 35-year-old woman who is seeking assistance at a local community counseling center. Which of the following statements made by the woman would indicate that she is experiencing a crisis?
- A. I?m so upset; my husband has never left me like this before.
- B. I?m confused and hurt; I have lost my best friend and my lover.
- C. I don?t understand; I can?t seem to function like I usually do.
- D. No matter what I do, I am still overcome by these sad feelings.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A crisis is characterized by an inability to function as usual due to overwhelming stress. The statement 'I can?t seem to function like I usually do' directly indicates impaired functioning, a hallmark of a crisis. The other statements reflect emotional distress but do not explicitly highlight functional impairment.
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After teaching a group of nursing students about crisis, the instructor determines that the teaching was successful when the students state which of the following?
- A. Crisis triggers maladaptive responses.
- B. Crisis is a time-limited event.
- C. Chronic crisis is a real situation.
- D. Events causing a crisis are similar for everyone.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: A crisis is a time-limited event, typically resolving within weeks as individuals adapt or receive support. Crises do not always trigger maladaptive responses (A), chronic crisis is not a standard term (C), and events vary by individual (D).
Assessment of a patient indicates complicated grief. Which statements would the nurse identify as supporting this reaction? Select all that apply.
- A. It?s been 2 months, and I still want my son back.
- B. I still wait for him to come right through the door every day.
- C. I?m really struggling with trusting anybody anymore.
- D. I wish I could go back to the days before he died.
- E. Life seems so empty now that he?s gone. What will I do?
Correct Answer: A,B,C,D,E
Rationale: Complicated grief involves persistent, intense symptoms such as longing (A), denial of the loss (B), trust issues (C), yearning for the past (D), and feelings of emptiness (E), indicating difficulty moving forward.
The nurse is providing follow-up care to victims of a disaster that occurred several months ago. Assessment of which of the following would lead the nurse to suspect that the victims are experiencing possible aftereffects of the disaster?
- A. Tachycardia
- B. Profuse perspiration
- C. Unexplained gastrointestinal disturbance
- D. Tremors
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Unexplained gastrointestinal disturbances can be a psychosomatic aftereffect of disaster-related stress, indicating lingering psychological impact. Tachycardia, perspiration, and tremors are more acute stress responses, less likely months later.
A Red Cross nurse is interviewing a woman whose house was totally destroyed during the night by a tornado; the woman?s pet poodle died as a result of the tornado. Which of following would the nurse most likely expect to hear from the woman?
- A. I don?t know. I can?t feel anything right now. Nothing seems real.
- B. Devastated. . . . I just feel totally devastated. I don?t know how I can go on living.
- C. I just want my insurance man to get here so I can file a claim. Everything I had is gone.
- D. I always thought my dog would die peacefully in my arms. Now I?ll never be able to hold her again.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: After a traumatic event like a tornado, shock and dissociation are common, as reflected in the statement 'I can?t feel anything right now. Nothing seems real.' This indicates a crisis response. The other statements reflect grief (B, D) or practical concerns (C), which may occur later but are less immediate.
A patient?s 5-year-old poodle ran in front of a car and was killed. The patient continues to be upset by her pet?s death, and she explains to a community counseling center nurse that she can?t stop crying because, 'My Precious meant the world to me, and now my world will never be the same!' If the nurse were to determine that the patient was experiencing a crisis, which of the following types of crisis would it most likely be?
- A. Maturational
- B. Situational
- C. Traumatic
- D. Developmental
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: A situational crisis arises from an external event, such as the sudden loss of a pet. The patient?s intense grief and sense of a changed world suggest a situational crisis triggered by the pet?s death. Maturational and developmental crises relate to life transitions, and traumatic crises involve life-threatening events, which do not apply here.
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