DAVIS ADVANTAGE FOR
TOWNSEND'S PSYCHIATRIC
MENTAL HEALTH NURSING
11TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)KARYN MORGAN
TEST BANK
1) Stress as a Biological Response
Reference: Ch. 1 — Stress as a Biological Response
Question Stem:
A nurse is caring for a college student who reports “my heart
races, and I cannot focus” before every exam. The student is
tremulous, flushed, and says they have had a poor appetite for
several days. Which interpretation best reflects the student’s
experience of stress?
,A. The student is showing a purely behavioral response to
boredom
B. The student is experiencing a physiologic stress response
C. The student is demonstrating a fixed personality disorder
D. The student’s symptoms indicate psychosis
Correct Answer: B
Rationale — Correct Answer:
Stress activates the body’s physiologic response, which can
produce tachycardia, tremors, poor appetite, and difficulty
concentrating. These findings are consistent with a biological
stress response rather than a primary psychiatric thought
disorder.
Rationale — Incorrect Options:
A. Boredom does not typically produce sympathetic activation
and appetite loss.
C. Personality disorder is a longstanding pattern of behavior, not
an acute physiologic stress reaction.
D. Psychosis involves impaired reality testing, which is not
supported by the stem.
Teaching Point:
Stress often appears first as physical symptoms, not just
emotional distress.
Citation:
Morgan, K. (n.d.). Davis Advantage for Townsend’s Psychiatric
Mental Health Nursing (11th ed.). Ch. 1.
,2) Stress as a Biological Response
Reference: Ch. 1 — Stress as a Biological Response
Question Stem:
A client in the emergency department after a motor vehicle
collision is restless, diaphoretic, and repeatedly asks, “Am I
going to die?” Which body system response is the nurse most
likely observing?
A. Parasympathetic dominance
B. Sympathetic nervous system activation
C. Cerebellar impairment
D. Voluntary motor inhibition
Correct Answer: B
Rationale — Correct Answer:
Acute stress activates the sympathetic nervous system,
producing diaphoresis, restlessness, and fear-based
hyperarousal. This is the classic “fight-or-flight” response.
Rationale — Incorrect Options:
A. Parasympathetic dominance is associated with rest,
digestion, and calming.
C. Cerebellar impairment affects balance and coordination, not
acute fear responses.
D. Voluntary motor inhibition is not the primary mechanism of
acute stress.
, Teaching Point:
Acute stress commonly triggers fight-or-flight physiology.
Citation:
Morgan, K. (n.d.). Davis Advantage for Townsend’s Psychiatric
Mental Health Nursing (11th ed.). Ch. 1.
3) Stress as an Environmental Event
Reference: Ch. 1 — Stress as an Environmental Event
Question Stem:
A nurse assesses a client whose apartment flooded, causing loss
of clothing, medications, and important documents. The client
says, “Everything changed in one night.” Which concept of
stress is most applicable?
A. Stress is only a biological event
B. Stress is caused solely by poor coping
C. Stress can result from environmental change
D. Stress occurs only when a person has a mental illness
Correct Answer: C
Rationale — Correct Answer:
Stress can be triggered by environmental events such as
displacement, loss, and sudden life disruption. The flood is the
external stressor, and the client’s reaction reflects the impact of
that event.
TOWNSEND'S PSYCHIATRIC
MENTAL HEALTH NURSING
11TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)KARYN MORGAN
TEST BANK
1) Stress as a Biological Response
Reference: Ch. 1 — Stress as a Biological Response
Question Stem:
A nurse is caring for a college student who reports “my heart
races, and I cannot focus” before every exam. The student is
tremulous, flushed, and says they have had a poor appetite for
several days. Which interpretation best reflects the student’s
experience of stress?
,A. The student is showing a purely behavioral response to
boredom
B. The student is experiencing a physiologic stress response
C. The student is demonstrating a fixed personality disorder
D. The student’s symptoms indicate psychosis
Correct Answer: B
Rationale — Correct Answer:
Stress activates the body’s physiologic response, which can
produce tachycardia, tremors, poor appetite, and difficulty
concentrating. These findings are consistent with a biological
stress response rather than a primary psychiatric thought
disorder.
Rationale — Incorrect Options:
A. Boredom does not typically produce sympathetic activation
and appetite loss.
C. Personality disorder is a longstanding pattern of behavior, not
an acute physiologic stress reaction.
D. Psychosis involves impaired reality testing, which is not
supported by the stem.
Teaching Point:
Stress often appears first as physical symptoms, not just
emotional distress.
Citation:
Morgan, K. (n.d.). Davis Advantage for Townsend’s Psychiatric
Mental Health Nursing (11th ed.). Ch. 1.
,2) Stress as a Biological Response
Reference: Ch. 1 — Stress as a Biological Response
Question Stem:
A client in the emergency department after a motor vehicle
collision is restless, diaphoretic, and repeatedly asks, “Am I
going to die?” Which body system response is the nurse most
likely observing?
A. Parasympathetic dominance
B. Sympathetic nervous system activation
C. Cerebellar impairment
D. Voluntary motor inhibition
Correct Answer: B
Rationale — Correct Answer:
Acute stress activates the sympathetic nervous system,
producing diaphoresis, restlessness, and fear-based
hyperarousal. This is the classic “fight-or-flight” response.
Rationale — Incorrect Options:
A. Parasympathetic dominance is associated with rest,
digestion, and calming.
C. Cerebellar impairment affects balance and coordination, not
acute fear responses.
D. Voluntary motor inhibition is not the primary mechanism of
acute stress.
, Teaching Point:
Acute stress commonly triggers fight-or-flight physiology.
Citation:
Morgan, K. (n.d.). Davis Advantage for Townsend’s Psychiatric
Mental Health Nursing (11th ed.). Ch. 1.
3) Stress as an Environmental Event
Reference: Ch. 1 — Stress as an Environmental Event
Question Stem:
A nurse assesses a client whose apartment flooded, causing loss
of clothing, medications, and important documents. The client
says, “Everything changed in one night.” Which concept of
stress is most applicable?
A. Stress is only a biological event
B. Stress is caused solely by poor coping
C. Stress can result from environmental change
D. Stress occurs only when a person has a mental illness
Correct Answer: C
Rationale — Correct Answer:
Stress can be triggered by environmental events such as
displacement, loss, and sudden life disruption. The flood is the
external stressor, and the client’s reaction reflects the impact of
that event.
