NUR2488 Mental Health Nursing Exam 3 ( Verified
Answers, Already graded A) (Latest 2025): Rasmussen
College
/. 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-B
People may experience events in their lives that are extraordinary in intensity or
severity, well beyond the stress of daily life. These traumatic events or stressors would
be expected to disrupt the life of anyone who experienced them, not just individuals at
risk for mental health problems or issues. These events and stressors may affect
individuals or large numbers and groups of people. While all persons experiencing
events such as these manifest anxiety, insomnia, difficulty coping, grief, or any variety
of responses, most work through the experience and return to their usual level of coping
and equilibriumóperhaps even enhanced coping as a result of dealing with the event.
/.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-D
In acute stress disorder, the symptoms occur 2 days to 4 weeks after a traumatic event
and are resolved within 3 months of the event. In PTSD, the symptoms occur 3 months
or more after the trauma. In PTSD, the client is likely to develop exacerbation of
symptoms. The severity and duration of the trauma and the proximity of the person to
the event are the most important factors affecting the likelihood of developing PTSD. In
PTSD, complete recovery occurs within 3 months for about 50% of people
/.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-Ans: B
Feedback:
Estimates are that up to 60% of people at risk develop PTSD
,/.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 - Answer-Ans: B, C, D, E
Feedback:
Acute stress disorder usually occurs from 2 days to 4 weeks after a trauma.
Posttraumatic stress disorder usually begins 3 months after the trauma. All of the rest of
these are longer-term responses to trauma and stress.
/.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 - Answer-Ans: B, D, E
Feedback:
The three major elements of PTSD are reexperiencing the trauma through dreams or
recurrent and intrusive thoughts, showing emotional numbing such as feeling detached
from others, and being on guard, irritable, or experiencing hyperarousal. The client may
also experience a numbing of general responsiveness and may try to avoid any places
or
people or situations that may trigger memories of the trauma, but these are not the
major
elements of PTSD.
/.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 - Answer-A, C, D, E
Feedback:
Examples of events that may cause PTSD include someone experiencing, witnessing,
or
being confronted by a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, combat, or an assault.
,The person with PTSD was exposed to an event that posed actual or threatened death
or
serious injury and responded with intense fear, helplessness, or terror. Being a survivor
of a tsunami that resulted in thousands of deaths, being a marine in a combat situation
where the entire platoon was wiped out except for one person, and being hidden in a
closet and hearing the entire family murdered by someone who broke into the house
would be situations where the person was exposed to an event that posed actual or
threatened death or serious injury and responded with intense fear, helplessness, or
terror.
/.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 - Answer-A
Feedback:
This nurse was experiencing a flashback where similar circumstances triggered a
sensation that the stressful experience were happening again.
/.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 - Answer-A, B, C
Feedback:
The three major elements of PTSD are reexperiencing the trauma through dreams or
recurrent and intrusive thoughts, showing emotional numbing such as feeling detached
from others, and being on guard, irritable, or experiencing hyperarousal. Feeling mildly
anxious is not a major element of PTSD as the person is likely to feel very anxious.
Occurring 2 weeks after the trauma would likely be acute stress disorder as PTSD
symptoms occur 3 months or more after the trauma.
/.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 - Answer-A, B, D
Feedback:
With dissociative amnesia, the client cannot remember important personal information.
With dissociative personality disorder, the client displays two or more distinct identities
or personality states that recurrently take control of his or her behavior. With
depersonalization disorder, the client has persistent or recurring feeling of being
detached from his or her mental processes or body (depersonalization) or sensation of
being in a dream-like state where the environment seems foggy or unreal
(derealization). The client is not psychotic or out of touch with reality. Repressed
memories are when a person is unable to consciously recall memories of childhood
abuse. False memory syndrome can occur during psychotherapy when the client is
encouraged to imagine false memories of childhood sexual abuse.
/.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 - Answer-A
Feedback:
The client experienced a temporary alteration in conscious awareness. This situation is
not an example of manipulation. The woman is not experiencing psychosis. Regression
occurs when there is a retreat to an earlier stage of development and comfort.
/.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 automobile pedestrian 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 - Answer-A
Feedback:
One of the most effective ways of avoiding pathologic responses to trauma is effectively
dealing with the trauma soon after it occurs. Describing what the colleague saw may be
very helpful to him or her. ìThat is horrible,î is a judgment and is not likely to be
helpful. ìWhy did you perform CPR,î might make the colleague feel defensive. ìI know
Answers, Already graded A) (Latest 2025): Rasmussen
College
/. 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-B
People may experience events in their lives that are extraordinary in intensity or
severity, well beyond the stress of daily life. These traumatic events or stressors would
be expected to disrupt the life of anyone who experienced them, not just individuals at
risk for mental health problems or issues. These events and stressors may affect
individuals or large numbers and groups of people. While all persons experiencing
events such as these manifest anxiety, insomnia, difficulty coping, grief, or any variety
of responses, most work through the experience and return to their usual level of coping
and equilibriumóperhaps even enhanced coping as a result of dealing with the event.
/.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-D
In acute stress disorder, the symptoms occur 2 days to 4 weeks after a traumatic event
and are resolved within 3 months of the event. In PTSD, the symptoms occur 3 months
or more after the trauma. In PTSD, the client is likely to develop exacerbation of
symptoms. The severity and duration of the trauma and the proximity of the person to
the event are the most important factors affecting the likelihood of developing PTSD. In
PTSD, complete recovery occurs within 3 months for about 50% of people
/.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-Ans: B
Feedback:
Estimates are that up to 60% of people at risk develop PTSD
,/.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 - Answer-Ans: B, C, D, E
Feedback:
Acute stress disorder usually occurs from 2 days to 4 weeks after a trauma.
Posttraumatic stress disorder usually begins 3 months after the trauma. All of the rest of
these are longer-term responses to trauma and stress.
/.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 - Answer-Ans: B, D, E
Feedback:
The three major elements of PTSD are reexperiencing the trauma through dreams or
recurrent and intrusive thoughts, showing emotional numbing such as feeling detached
from others, and being on guard, irritable, or experiencing hyperarousal. The client may
also experience a numbing of general responsiveness and may try to avoid any places
or
people or situations that may trigger memories of the trauma, but these are not the
major
elements of PTSD.
/.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 - Answer-A, C, D, E
Feedback:
Examples of events that may cause PTSD include someone experiencing, witnessing,
or
being confronted by a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, combat, or an assault.
,The person with PTSD was exposed to an event that posed actual or threatened death
or
serious injury and responded with intense fear, helplessness, or terror. Being a survivor
of a tsunami that resulted in thousands of deaths, being a marine in a combat situation
where the entire platoon was wiped out except for one person, and being hidden in a
closet and hearing the entire family murdered by someone who broke into the house
would be situations where the person was exposed to an event that posed actual or
threatened death or serious injury and responded with intense fear, helplessness, or
terror.
/.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 - Answer-A
Feedback:
This nurse was experiencing a flashback where similar circumstances triggered a
sensation that the stressful experience were happening again.
/.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 - Answer-A, B, C
Feedback:
The three major elements of PTSD are reexperiencing the trauma through dreams or
recurrent and intrusive thoughts, showing emotional numbing such as feeling detached
from others, and being on guard, irritable, or experiencing hyperarousal. Feeling mildly
anxious is not a major element of PTSD as the person is likely to feel very anxious.
Occurring 2 weeks after the trauma would likely be acute stress disorder as PTSD
symptoms occur 3 months or more after the trauma.
/.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 - Answer-A, B, D
Feedback:
With dissociative amnesia, the client cannot remember important personal information.
With dissociative personality disorder, the client displays two or more distinct identities
or personality states that recurrently take control of his or her behavior. With
depersonalization disorder, the client has persistent or recurring feeling of being
detached from his or her mental processes or body (depersonalization) or sensation of
being in a dream-like state where the environment seems foggy or unreal
(derealization). The client is not psychotic or out of touch with reality. Repressed
memories are when a person is unable to consciously recall memories of childhood
abuse. False memory syndrome can occur during psychotherapy when the client is
encouraged to imagine false memories of childhood sexual abuse.
/.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 - Answer-A
Feedback:
The client experienced a temporary alteration in conscious awareness. This situation is
not an example of manipulation. The woman is not experiencing psychosis. Regression
occurs when there is a retreat to an earlier stage of development and comfort.
/.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 automobile pedestrian 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 - Answer-A
Feedback:
One of the most effective ways of avoiding pathologic responses to trauma is effectively
dealing with the trauma soon after it occurs. Describing what the colleague saw may be
very helpful to him or her. ìThat is horrible,î is a judgment and is not likely to be
helpful. ìWhy did you perform CPR,î might make the colleague feel defensive. ìI know
