Exam 11: Understanding Responses to Stress

The nurse planning to teach a patient how to use Benson's relaxation techniques to treat hypertension is essentially teaching the patient to:

According to the Life Changing Event Questionnaire,which situation would most merit a complete assessment of a person's stress status and coping abilities?

A patient reports that financial problems are stressing his marriage.Today he heard rumors about impending cutbacks at work,and he fears he will be laid off.He is wringing his hands,has a pulse rate of 112/minute,respirations are 26/minute,and his blood pressure is 166/88 instead of being in his usual 110-120/76-84 range.Which nursing intervention or recommendation should be used first?

A recent immigrant from Central America is brought to the clinic by her daughter,who has been a U.S.resident for 10 years.The daughter says the stress of immigration has made her mother unwell.For which expression of stress should the nurse be alert during the assessment interview?

A patient tells the nurse,"I'm told that I should reduce the stress in my life,but I have no idea where to start." Which would be the best initial nursing response?

The nurse wishes to use guided imagery to help her patient relax.Which comment would be appropriate to include in the guided imagery script? Select all that apply.

The daughter of a severely depressed patient asks the nurse "What do you think about the relationship between depression and physical illness? Since my mother has been grieving over my father's death,she has had colds,shingles,and the flu,and she's usually not one to get sick." The answer that best reflects the current thinking about psychoimmunology is:

A patient tells the nurse that one result of his chronic stress is that he has considerable fatigue.He usually sleeps from 11:00 PM to 6:30 AM.He reports he now sets his alarm to give himself an extra 30 minutes of sleep each morning but feels no better and is rushed for work.Which nursing response would best address the patient's concerns?

A patient newly diagnosed as being HIV-positive seeks the nurse's advice on how to reduce the risk of infections.The patient states "I used to go to church,and it seems like I was in my best health then.Maybe I should start going to church again." The reply that shows the best understanding of psychoimmunology is:

A patient reports that he is overwhelmed by stress.Which question would be most important to use in assessing the patient during your first meeting?

When the inpatient psychiatric nurse asks the newly-admitted patient to describe her social supports,the patient reports that she is newly divorced,has no siblings,her parents died last year,and she has little contact with her former in-laws,who subtly blame her for the divorce.She has few friends because most of her peers are not nearly as religiously conservative as she is.Which response related to social support would be most therapeutic?

A patient with emphysema who has severe shortness of breath and frequent hospitalizations often depends on her portable oxygen tank when she leaves her home.Recently she has not been able to go upstairs to her bedroom at night because of shortness of breath and fear of developing severe breathing difficulty if she continues up the stairs.A support group leader suggests the use of guided imagery.What image would the patient be encouraged to visualize?

The patient tells the nurse,"I'll never be happy until I'm as successful as my older sister." The nurse asks the patient to reassess this statement and reframe it.Which reframed statement is most likely to promote coping?

A patient who had been complaining of intolerable stress at work has demonstrated the ability to use progressive muscle relaxation and deep breathing techniques.He will return to the clinic for follow-up evaluation in 2 weeks.Which data will best suggest that the patient is successfully using these techniques to cope more effectively with stress?

A nurse who leads group therapy for a group of depressed patients plans to implement a plan of exercise for each patient.The rationale to use when presenting this plan to the treatment team is that exercise:

A patient tells the nurse "My doctor thinks my problems with stress relate to the negative way I think about things,and he wants me to learn a new way of thinking." Which response would be in keeping with the doctor's recommendations?

A stress-laden patient has elected to learn deep breathing as a means of reducing stress.Rank the order the nurse should give the following information when teaching this technique. A) Focus on your breathing;repeat the exercise for 2 to 5 minutes. B) With each breath,pay attention to muscular sensations that accompany abdominal expansion. C) Hold the breath for 3 seconds. D) Find a comfortable position.Relax the shoulders and chest;let the body relax. E) Take a deep breath through the nose,expanding the abdomen. F) Exhale slowly through the nose,telling the body to relax.

Which changes reflect the short-term physiological response to stress? Select all that apply.

A patient who is experiencing great stress associated with a disturbing new diagnosis asks the nurse,"Do you think saying a prayer would help?" The answer the nurse should give is: