Chapter 55: Psychologic Responses to Illness
Linton: Introduction to Medical–Surgical Nursing, 6th Edition
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. How should a nurse describe a patient who has a functional interaction of the cognitive,
affective, behavioral, and social dimensions of his personality?
a.
Effectively organized
b.
Personally satisfied
c.
Well rounded
d.
Mentally healthy
2. A nurse assesses that a 42-year-old patient lives with her parents and is dependent on them for
decisions about her life. Which mental health characteristic is this patient lacking?
a.
Reality orientation
b.
Autonomous behavior
c.
Spontaneity
d.
Ethical decision making
3. What is an example of a positive stressor?
a.
Test anxiety
b.
Loss of a job
c.
Paying income tax
d.
Single motherhood
4. Which action is an example of a person attempting to maintain homeostasis as a newcomer in
a community?
a.
Joins a local church
b.
Buys a new car
c.
Stays in his or her apartment watching television
d.
Spends hours writing e-mail messages to old friends
5. Which behavior best exemplifies developmental activities in a 13-year-old teenager?
a.
Going out with a group of friends
b.
Reading an exciting book
c.
Volunteering for the local hospital
d.
Choosing a career
6. In which stage is introspection a major characteristic?
a.
Middle-aged adult
b.
Middle childhood
c.
Early adulthood
d.
Older-age adult
7. A nurse hears a 5-year-old patient who just started kindergarten use rude vocabulary. What is
the best response to this behavior?
a.
Ignore it.
b.
Speak to his teacher about it.
c.
Praise him when he speaks properly.
d.
Talk about it at the parent–teachers association.
8. Which patient is most likely to experience the greatest cultural impact on his coping with a
chronic debilitating illness?
a.
A 26-year-old Latino man with a family
b.
A 30-year-old divorced white man with no dependents
c.
A 35-year-old Asian wife with a family
d.
A 65-year-old widowed black church pastor with married children
9. A patient with low back pain confesses that he drinks heavily each night to help him sleep and
control pain. What does this behavior exemplify?
a.
Alternate pain control methods
b.
Coping with a chronic condition
c.
Using a social coping mechanism
d.
Using a maladaptive coping method
10. What do a preschooler’s experiences in kindergarten help the child to adapt to?
a.
Sexual identity
b.
Interpersonal conflicts
c.
Independent decision making
d.
Self-direction
11. What information should a nurse provide to a Native American patient taking herbal remedies
and nutritional supplements?
a.
Herbs and vitamins are not helpful.
b.
If herbs and vitamins are not harmful, then they will be integrated into the plan of
care.
c.
Medical research has shown that such alternative remedies are a waste of money.
d.
In the hospital, no physician will prescribe anything other than accepted medical
protocols.
12. When a patient is given a diagnosis of cancer, his first statement is, “What did I ever do to
deserve God punishing me?” What does this exemplify?
a.
Maladaptive coping
b.
Behavioral emotionalism
c.
Spiritual distress
d.
Spiritual maladaptation
13. A star quarterback on the high school football team is injured in a motorcycle accident. He
will be unable to play football again. Which nursing diagnosis is most appropriate when
planning care specific to coping?
a.
Impaired physical mobility
b.
Situational low self-esteem
c.
Impaired social interaction
d.
Impaired comfort
14. A wife of a critically injured husband has been at his bedside constantly for 2 days. As the
nurse speaks to the wife, the wife sobs, “This is awful. I can’t take it anymore.” What is the
wife experiencing?
a.
Fear
b.
Denial
c.
Compensation
d.
Stress
15. How does fear differ from anxiety?
a.
Fear is a useless emotion.
b.
Fear is an ineffective coping strategy.
c.
Fear is an irrational feeling.
d.
Fear is a response to a specific threat.
16. An older Italian woman has an egg yolk in a bowl under her bed that she believes is absorbing
the evil of her illness and making her feel better. Which action should a nurse implement?
a.
Move the egg yolk out of the way to the bathroom.
b.
Replace the egg yolk with a hard-boiled egg.
c.
Remove the egg for sanitary purposes.
d.
Include maintenance of the egg in the nursing care plan.
17. When a 25-year-old woman who had a hysterectomy 1 day earlier tearfully tells the nurse that
she is grieving for the children she will never have, the nurse assesses the grief as positive.
What does grief allow this patient to achieve?
a.
Focus on her loss.
b.
Forget about her concern.
c.
Reappraise her values for the future.
d.
Depend on others for grief support.
18. A 5-year-old patient was in an accident in which his cousin was killed. The patient starts to
wet the bed at night. What question should the nurse ask the mother when she confirms that it
has been several years since the patient had any difficulty with bedwetting?
a.
“Do you think this is related to the accident?”
b.
“Do others in the family have this problem?”
c.
“Does your child drink lots of fluids late at night?”
d.
“Are there any stressful situations in your family?”
19. A 24-year-old man scheduled for brain surgery in the morning constantly listens to music with
his headphones on. What should a nurse recognize this behavior as?
a.
Conversion reaction
b.
Conscious coping strategy
c.
Defense mechanism of undoing
d.
Reaction formation
20. When a patient is asked whether he wants his pain medication, he says to you, “I don’t know;
whatever you think is best.” What should the nurse recognize this maladaptive coping
mechanism as?
a.
Powerlessness
b.
Helplessness
c.
Denial
d.
Depression
21. Which patient diagnosis and behavior should lead a nurse to conclude the patient is using the
defense mechanism of denial?
a.
A patient with emphysema continues to smoke.
b.
A patient with diabetes mellitus uses a sugar substitute.
c.
A patient with a drug problem blames his mother for his habit.
d.
A patient with osteoarthritis angrily kicks the steps that he cannot climb.
22. What is the goal of nursing care for the patient with a chronic illness?
a.
Find the cause of the illness.
b.
Tell the patient that he or she will learn to live with the illness.
c.
Help the patient manage the illness.
d.
Give the patient websites that have information about the illness.
23. What nursing action should be implemented when dealing with a patient who is an alcoholic
in denial and claims to only drink in social situations?
a.
Insist that he stop drinking entirely.
b.
Point out that the patient is using denial.
c.
Help the patient investigate ways to reduce drinking.
d.
Provide information on Alcoholics Anonymous.
MULTIPLE RESPONSE
24. What factors are known to influence coping strategies? (Select all that apply.)
a.
Age
b.
Financial status
c.
Role expectations
d.
Personal values
e.
Cultural expectations
25. What should a nurse evaluate to assess the social dimension of a patient’s persona? (Select all
that apply.)
a.
Interaction with family
b.
Formulation of thoughts
c.
Presentation of self to community
d.
Problem solving
e.
Processing of information
26. What are characteristics of a healthy person according to Maslow? (Select all that apply.)
a.
Acceptance of self
b.
Reality orientation
c.
Spontaneity
d.
Effective problem-solving skills
e.
No need for privacy
COMPLETION
27. A student nurse who was terrified of giving an injection now gives many injections every
shift. The change in the nurse is the result of _____.
28. A nurse recognizes that mild stress can be a positive force that stimulates the patient to _____
a problem.
