NURS 344 EVALUATION EXAM 2026 QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS SCORED A+
✔✔Risk factors for PTSD - ✔✔-Prior diagnosis of acute stress disorder (similar to
adjustment disorder--if last more than one month, diagnosis is PTSD)
-Pre-existing personality: introverted, uses defense mechanism of repression
-Extent, duration, and intensity of trauma involved
-Environmental issues-limited or no support during and/or after trauma
-High levels of anxiety at baseline
-Low self-esteem
-Personality difficulties
✔✔Co-morbidity of PTSD - ✔✔-Adults: substance abuse, major depressive disorder,
anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, dissociative disorders
-Children: have separation anxiety or oppositional defiant disorder
✔✔Presenting symptoms of PTSD - ✔✔-Adults: anhedonia, aggression, sadness, guilty,
angry, occupation/social difficulties, chronic pain, somatic (physical) problems
-Children: nightmares, phobias, somatic (physical) problems, impulse control, identity
issues, behavior problems, sleep disorders, depression, suicide attempts, substance
abuse
✔✔Assessments and nursing diagnoses of PTSD - ✔✔-Physical and psychological
assessment includes symptoms history and history of traumatic event(s)
-Physical and psychological assessment should ALWAYS include a complete history
(including sleep and baseline functioning in all areas). Note presence of PTSD
diagnostic criteria symptoms as above.
-Assess for suicide risk or harm to others (priority)
-Nursing problems: anxiety, sleep, flashbacks, irritability, social functioning, occupation,
substance use/abuse, violence potential, pain
✔✔Management and treatment outcomes for PTSD - ✔✔-Provide open non-threatening
environment
-Manage real or potential suicidal ideation
-Allow patient to discuss at their own pace- acknowledge and validate the experience
(this is standard of care for all patients who have undergone trauma)
-Help identify successful coping strategies (ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE)
-CBT- many forms show effectiveness in treating PTSD
-Support animals
-Meditation, yoga, mindfulness
-Play therapy for children
-Group therapy
-Bibliotherapy
-Art (acting, drawing, painting, building...)
-Mindfulness exercises (deep breathing, imagery)
-Medications
, ✔✔Medications for PTSD - ✔✔-SSRI's
-Minipress (Prazosin)- antihypertensive useful in decreasing the nightmares
-Clonidine (Catapres)- for hyperarousal
-Propranolol (Inderal)- for hyperarousal and panic
-Midomafetamine (MDMA)- in Phase III trials- helps more symptoms with less suicide
risk than antidepressants- is a schedule I drug at the current time
✔✔Crisis - ✔✔-A time limited event that triggers adaptive or non-adaptive responses to
maturational, situational, or traumatic experiences. A crisis results from stressful events
for which coping mechanisms fail to provide adequate adaptive skill to address the
perceived challenge or threat.
✔✔Phases in the development of crisis - ✔✔-Stressors occur, causing a rise in tension,
use usual coping mechanisms
-Coping mechanisms ineffective; increase in tension
-Emergency coping strategies are ineffective
-If no resolution, tension increases and major disorganization occurs
✔✔Types of crisis - ✔✔-Developmental
-Situational
-Traumatic
✔✔Developmental or maturational crisis - ✔✔-Normal part of growth and development-
allows the child/person to advance to the next stage. Ideally, positive coping
mechanisms are built providing a foundation for the next level.
-Examples: going to kindergarten, leaving home after graduation, having a baby
✔✔Situational crisis - ✔✔-A disruptive, unexpected event that occurs- can be bio,
psycho, and/or social and can be internal or external.
-Examples: car accident, disease, divorce, death, job loss
✔✔Traumatic crisis - ✔✔-Very unexpected or unusual event or events that involves one
or many persons
-Examples: earthquakes, tornados, terrorism attacks, tsunamis
✔✔Crisis intervention - ✔✔-Systematic application of problem-solving techniques,
based on crisis theory, designed to help the client move through the crisis process as
swiftly and as painlessly as possible and thereby achieve at least the same level of
psychological comfort as he or she experienced before the crisis
✔✔Goal for crisis intervention - ✔✔-Return the person to pre-crisis level of functioning
✔✔Nurse's role in crisis intervention - ✔✔-Provide a framework of support systems that
guide the patient through the crisis and assist the development of positive coping skills
SOLUTIONS SCORED A+
✔✔Risk factors for PTSD - ✔✔-Prior diagnosis of acute stress disorder (similar to
adjustment disorder--if last more than one month, diagnosis is PTSD)
-Pre-existing personality: introverted, uses defense mechanism of repression
-Extent, duration, and intensity of trauma involved
-Environmental issues-limited or no support during and/or after trauma
-High levels of anxiety at baseline
-Low self-esteem
-Personality difficulties
✔✔Co-morbidity of PTSD - ✔✔-Adults: substance abuse, major depressive disorder,
anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, dissociative disorders
-Children: have separation anxiety or oppositional defiant disorder
✔✔Presenting symptoms of PTSD - ✔✔-Adults: anhedonia, aggression, sadness, guilty,
angry, occupation/social difficulties, chronic pain, somatic (physical) problems
-Children: nightmares, phobias, somatic (physical) problems, impulse control, identity
issues, behavior problems, sleep disorders, depression, suicide attempts, substance
abuse
✔✔Assessments and nursing diagnoses of PTSD - ✔✔-Physical and psychological
assessment includes symptoms history and history of traumatic event(s)
-Physical and psychological assessment should ALWAYS include a complete history
(including sleep and baseline functioning in all areas). Note presence of PTSD
diagnostic criteria symptoms as above.
-Assess for suicide risk or harm to others (priority)
-Nursing problems: anxiety, sleep, flashbacks, irritability, social functioning, occupation,
substance use/abuse, violence potential, pain
✔✔Management and treatment outcomes for PTSD - ✔✔-Provide open non-threatening
environment
-Manage real or potential suicidal ideation
-Allow patient to discuss at their own pace- acknowledge and validate the experience
(this is standard of care for all patients who have undergone trauma)
-Help identify successful coping strategies (ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE)
-CBT- many forms show effectiveness in treating PTSD
-Support animals
-Meditation, yoga, mindfulness
-Play therapy for children
-Group therapy
-Bibliotherapy
-Art (acting, drawing, painting, building...)
-Mindfulness exercises (deep breathing, imagery)
-Medications
, ✔✔Medications for PTSD - ✔✔-SSRI's
-Minipress (Prazosin)- antihypertensive useful in decreasing the nightmares
-Clonidine (Catapres)- for hyperarousal
-Propranolol (Inderal)- for hyperarousal and panic
-Midomafetamine (MDMA)- in Phase III trials- helps more symptoms with less suicide
risk than antidepressants- is a schedule I drug at the current time
✔✔Crisis - ✔✔-A time limited event that triggers adaptive or non-adaptive responses to
maturational, situational, or traumatic experiences. A crisis results from stressful events
for which coping mechanisms fail to provide adequate adaptive skill to address the
perceived challenge or threat.
✔✔Phases in the development of crisis - ✔✔-Stressors occur, causing a rise in tension,
use usual coping mechanisms
-Coping mechanisms ineffective; increase in tension
-Emergency coping strategies are ineffective
-If no resolution, tension increases and major disorganization occurs
✔✔Types of crisis - ✔✔-Developmental
-Situational
-Traumatic
✔✔Developmental or maturational crisis - ✔✔-Normal part of growth and development-
allows the child/person to advance to the next stage. Ideally, positive coping
mechanisms are built providing a foundation for the next level.
-Examples: going to kindergarten, leaving home after graduation, having a baby
✔✔Situational crisis - ✔✔-A disruptive, unexpected event that occurs- can be bio,
psycho, and/or social and can be internal or external.
-Examples: car accident, disease, divorce, death, job loss
✔✔Traumatic crisis - ✔✔-Very unexpected or unusual event or events that involves one
or many persons
-Examples: earthquakes, tornados, terrorism attacks, tsunamis
✔✔Crisis intervention - ✔✔-Systematic application of problem-solving techniques,
based on crisis theory, designed to help the client move through the crisis process as
swiftly and as painlessly as possible and thereby achieve at least the same level of
psychological comfort as he or she experienced before the crisis
✔✔Goal for crisis intervention - ✔✔-Return the person to pre-crisis level of functioning
✔✔Nurse's role in crisis intervention - ✔✔-Provide a framework of support systems that
guide the patient through the crisis and assist the development of positive coping skills
