ATI RN
Psychobiological Disorder Questions
Question 1 of 5
A respected school coach was arrested after a student reported the coach attempted to have sexual contact. Which nursing action has priority in the period immediately following the coachs arrest?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Pedophiles and other persons with paraphilic disorders can be at increased risk of self-harm associated with the guilt, shame, and anger they feel about their behavior and its effect on their families, victims, and victims families. They also face considerable losses, such as the end of their careers or the loss of freedom to imprisonment. Thus, safety is the priority issue for assessment. Determining the nature and extent of the patients disorder and related patient perceptions would be appropriate but not the highest priority for assessment. Investigating whether other victims exist is a matter for law enforcement rather than health care personnel.
Question 2 of 5
A woman just received notification that her husband died. She approaches the nurse who cared for him during his last hours and says angrily, 'If you had given him your undivided attention, he would still be alive.' How should the nurse analyze this behavior?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: In this scenario, the correct answer is C) Anger is an expected emotion in an adjustment disorder. This response is correct because when individuals are faced with a significant loss, such as the death of a loved one, they may experience a range of emotions including anger as part of the grieving process. This is particularly common in adjustment disorders where individuals struggle to cope with the stressors they are facing. Option A) The comment suggests potential allegations of malpractice is incorrect because the woman's anger is more likely a manifestation of her grief rather than an indication of malpractice. Option B) In some cultures, grief is expressed solely through anger is incorrect as it generalizes cultural responses to grief and does not specifically address the psychological aspect of adjustment disorders. Option D) The patient had ambivalent feelings about her husband is incorrect as there is no evidence in the scenario to support this conclusion. Understanding the psychological responses to grief and loss is crucial for healthcare professionals to provide appropriate support and care to individuals experiencing psychobiological disorders. It is essential for nurses to recognize and validate the emotions of individuals in such situations to promote effective coping and healing.
Question 3 of 5
Which scenario demonstrates a dissociative fugue?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The patient in a dissociative fugue state relocates and lacks recall of his life before the fugue began. Often fugue states follow traumatic experiences and sometimes involve assuming a new identity. Such persons at some point find themselves in their new surroundings, unable to recall who they are or how they got there. A feeling of detachment from one's body or from the external reality is an indication of depersonalization disorder. Losing track of several minutes when highly anxious is not an indication of a dissociative disorder and is common in states of elevated anxiety. Finding evidence of having bought clothes or gone to restaurants without any explanation for these is suggestive of dissociative identity disorder, particularly when periods are lost to the patient (blackouts).
Question 4 of 5
A patient diagnosed with depersonalization disorder tells the nurse, 'It's starting again. I feel as though I'm going to float away.' Which intervention would be most appropriate at this point?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Helping the patient apply a grounding technique, such as exercise, assists the patient to interrupt the dissociative process. Medication can help reduce anxiety but does not directly interrupt the dissociative process. Isolation would allow the sensation to overpower the patient. It is not necessary to notify the health care provider.
Question 5 of 5
Two weeks ago, a soldier returned to the U.S. from active duty in a combat zone in Afghanistan. The soldier was diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Which comment by the soldier requires the nurse's immediate attention?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct response indicates the soldier is thinking about death and feeling survivor's guilt. These emotions may accompany suicidal ideation, which warrants the nurse's follow-up assessment. Suicide is a high risk among military personnel diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder. One distracter indicates flashbacks, common with persons with PTSD, but not solely indicative that further problems exist. The other distracters are normal emotions associated with returning home and change.