NUR102 Ch.42 Stress & Coping Practice
Exam Questions Fully Solved.
While assessing a client's ability to cope after being diagnosed with a chronic illness, the client admits to
an increase in drinking and smoking. The nurse recognizes this client is utilizing which type of coping
strategy?
1. short-term
2. long-term
3. adaptive
4. effective - Answer Answer: 1. Rationale: Short-term coping strategies can reduce stress to a tolerable
limit temporarily, but are ineffective ways to deal with reality permanently. They can even have a
destructive or detrimental effect on the person. An example of short-term strategies is using alcoholic
beverages or drugs.
The nurse manager suspects the nursing staff is experiencing burnout because of complaints and an
increase in absenteeism. The nurses also appear tired and anxious. What can the manager do to help
reduce this burnout?
1. Ask he physician staff to take over some of the tasks they routinely ask the nurses to do.
2. Make certain that the nurses are well prepared for their responsibilities
3. Assign each nurse to spend 30 minutes with the hospital psychologist daily.
4. Ask administration to require 30 minutes of exercise at the end of each shift. - Answer Answer: 2.
Rationale: In this situation, the best alternative is to be certain that the nurses are well prepared for the
responsibilities of their jobs, as the frustration of being unprepared leads to burnout. Asking physicians
to assume nursing tasks is not appropriate. counseling and exercise cannot be made requirements for
the staff.
Two people have been in a motor vehicle crash and have similar injuries. According to the transaction-
based model, their degree of stress from the crash would be
1. based on previous experience and personal characteristics.
2. extremely similar since they had the same stimulus
3. the identical physiological alarm reaction
4. different depending on their external resources and support levels. - Answer Answer: 1. Rationale: In
the transaction model, stress is a very personal experience and varies widely among individuals. Option 2
, represents the stimulus model, and option 3 represents the response model of stress. In option 4,
external resources and support area factor in determining stress levels but omit the key aspects of
internal/personal influences.
A client informed of a cancer diagnosis assures the nurse he is fine. Which of the following is the most
indicative physical evidence to the nurse of the client's stress?
1. constricted pupils
2. dilated peripheral blood vessels (flush)
3. hyperventilation
4. decreased heart rate - Answer Answer: 3. Rationale: With stress, respirations increase, pupils dilate,
peripheral blood vessels constrict, and the heart rate increases.
A client repeatedly tells the nurse that "all will be well" and "I'm fine" in response to learning of a health
problem that requires immediate surgery The nurse realized the diagnosis appropriate for the client at
this time would be which of the following?
1. Compromised Family Coping
2. Ineffective Coping
3. Disabled Family Coping
4. Defensive Coping - Answer Answer: 4. Rationale: Defensive Coping is the repeated projection of
falsely positive self-evaluation based on a self-protective pattern that defends against underlying
perceived threats to positive self-regard.
The nurse has recently changed jobs to work with young adults and recognizes that sources of stress
common to that population include which of the following? Select all that apply.
1. marriage
2. aging parents
3. starting a new job
4. leaving the parental home
5. decreased physical abilities
6. changing body structure - Answer Answer: 1,3,4. Rationale: Common stressors among young adults
include marriage, starting a new job, and leaving the parental home. Stressors from aging parents are
more common among middle-aged adults (option 2); decreased physical abilities is a stressor in older
Exam Questions Fully Solved.
While assessing a client's ability to cope after being diagnosed with a chronic illness, the client admits to
an increase in drinking and smoking. The nurse recognizes this client is utilizing which type of coping
strategy?
1. short-term
2. long-term
3. adaptive
4. effective - Answer Answer: 1. Rationale: Short-term coping strategies can reduce stress to a tolerable
limit temporarily, but are ineffective ways to deal with reality permanently. They can even have a
destructive or detrimental effect on the person. An example of short-term strategies is using alcoholic
beverages or drugs.
The nurse manager suspects the nursing staff is experiencing burnout because of complaints and an
increase in absenteeism. The nurses also appear tired and anxious. What can the manager do to help
reduce this burnout?
1. Ask he physician staff to take over some of the tasks they routinely ask the nurses to do.
2. Make certain that the nurses are well prepared for their responsibilities
3. Assign each nurse to spend 30 minutes with the hospital psychologist daily.
4. Ask administration to require 30 minutes of exercise at the end of each shift. - Answer Answer: 2.
Rationale: In this situation, the best alternative is to be certain that the nurses are well prepared for the
responsibilities of their jobs, as the frustration of being unprepared leads to burnout. Asking physicians
to assume nursing tasks is not appropriate. counseling and exercise cannot be made requirements for
the staff.
Two people have been in a motor vehicle crash and have similar injuries. According to the transaction-
based model, their degree of stress from the crash would be
1. based on previous experience and personal characteristics.
2. extremely similar since they had the same stimulus
3. the identical physiological alarm reaction
4. different depending on their external resources and support levels. - Answer Answer: 1. Rationale: In
the transaction model, stress is a very personal experience and varies widely among individuals. Option 2
, represents the stimulus model, and option 3 represents the response model of stress. In option 4,
external resources and support area factor in determining stress levels but omit the key aspects of
internal/personal influences.
A client informed of a cancer diagnosis assures the nurse he is fine. Which of the following is the most
indicative physical evidence to the nurse of the client's stress?
1. constricted pupils
2. dilated peripheral blood vessels (flush)
3. hyperventilation
4. decreased heart rate - Answer Answer: 3. Rationale: With stress, respirations increase, pupils dilate,
peripheral blood vessels constrict, and the heart rate increases.
A client repeatedly tells the nurse that "all will be well" and "I'm fine" in response to learning of a health
problem that requires immediate surgery The nurse realized the diagnosis appropriate for the client at
this time would be which of the following?
1. Compromised Family Coping
2. Ineffective Coping
3. Disabled Family Coping
4. Defensive Coping - Answer Answer: 4. Rationale: Defensive Coping is the repeated projection of
falsely positive self-evaluation based on a self-protective pattern that defends against underlying
perceived threats to positive self-regard.
The nurse has recently changed jobs to work with young adults and recognizes that sources of stress
common to that population include which of the following? Select all that apply.
1. marriage
2. aging parents
3. starting a new job
4. leaving the parental home
5. decreased physical abilities
6. changing body structure - Answer Answer: 1,3,4. Rationale: Common stressors among young adults
include marriage, starting a new job, and leaving the parental home. Stressors from aging parents are
more common among middle-aged adults (option 2); decreased physical abilities is a stressor in older
