NURS 4010 Exam #2 Part 2
Anxiety
Diffuse, unpleasant, vague sense of apprehension, often accompanied by autonomic symptoms and
restlessness
-Affects thinking, perception, and learning
-Adaptive: warns of internal or external threat/danger permitting the use of mechanisms to deal with
or prevent the danger
-Maladaptive: affects overall wellbeing
State anxiety
Right now
Trait anxiety
Overall feeling of anxiety
Mild anxiety
-VS normal or slightly elevated
-Minimal muscle tension
-Increased motivation, excited, irritable
-Relaxed, attentive
Interventions for mild anxiety
-Monitor own anxiety and source of anxiety
-Maintain mild anxiety of self
-Observe for presence of defense mechanisms in self
-Remain calm
-Quiet, controlled voice quality
-Utilize characteristics of helping relationship
-Focus on client nonverbal
-Avoid false reassurance
-Observe for defense mechanisms
-Clarify thoughts and feelings
-Optimal level of learning
Moderate anxiety
-Same as mild except:
Can learn but is reduced due to anxiety
, Interventions for moderate anxiety
-Monitor own anxiety and source of
-Maintain mild anxiety of self
-Observe for presence of defense mechanisms in self
-Remain calm
-Quiet, controlled voice quality
-Focus on client nonverbal
Severe anxiety
-Flight or fight response
-Tachycardia
-Palpitations
-Tachypnea/hyperventilation
-Hearing and pain sensation decreased
-Urinary frequency
-Diarrhea
-HA
-Dizziness
-Nausea
-Insomnia
Interventions for severe anxiety
-Competent, firm, authoritative approach
-Calm, low pitched voice quality
-Utilize characteristics of helping relationship
-Focus on client nonverbal
-Stay with patient
-Communicate with short, simple sentences; repeat as necessary
-Use active listening strategies
-Listen for themes
-Attend promptly to physical needs
-Decrease environmental stimuli
-Set limits on potential harmful behaviors
Panic anxiety
-Dilated pupils, pale, severe trembling, diaphoresis
-Decreased BP
-Pain and hearing sensations minimal
-Feels sense of impending doom - he/she is going to die; terrified
Interventions of panic anxiety
Same as severe
Denial
Defense mechanism by which people refuse to accept reality.
Repression
Defense mechanism by which anxiety-provoking thoughts and feelings are forced to the unconscious.
Anxiety
Diffuse, unpleasant, vague sense of apprehension, often accompanied by autonomic symptoms and
restlessness
-Affects thinking, perception, and learning
-Adaptive: warns of internal or external threat/danger permitting the use of mechanisms to deal with
or prevent the danger
-Maladaptive: affects overall wellbeing
State anxiety
Right now
Trait anxiety
Overall feeling of anxiety
Mild anxiety
-VS normal or slightly elevated
-Minimal muscle tension
-Increased motivation, excited, irritable
-Relaxed, attentive
Interventions for mild anxiety
-Monitor own anxiety and source of anxiety
-Maintain mild anxiety of self
-Observe for presence of defense mechanisms in self
-Remain calm
-Quiet, controlled voice quality
-Utilize characteristics of helping relationship
-Focus on client nonverbal
-Avoid false reassurance
-Observe for defense mechanisms
-Clarify thoughts and feelings
-Optimal level of learning
Moderate anxiety
-Same as mild except:
Can learn but is reduced due to anxiety
, Interventions for moderate anxiety
-Monitor own anxiety and source of
-Maintain mild anxiety of self
-Observe for presence of defense mechanisms in self
-Remain calm
-Quiet, controlled voice quality
-Focus on client nonverbal
Severe anxiety
-Flight or fight response
-Tachycardia
-Palpitations
-Tachypnea/hyperventilation
-Hearing and pain sensation decreased
-Urinary frequency
-Diarrhea
-HA
-Dizziness
-Nausea
-Insomnia
Interventions for severe anxiety
-Competent, firm, authoritative approach
-Calm, low pitched voice quality
-Utilize characteristics of helping relationship
-Focus on client nonverbal
-Stay with patient
-Communicate with short, simple sentences; repeat as necessary
-Use active listening strategies
-Listen for themes
-Attend promptly to physical needs
-Decrease environmental stimuli
-Set limits on potential harmful behaviors
Panic anxiety
-Dilated pupils, pale, severe trembling, diaphoresis
-Decreased BP
-Pain and hearing sensations minimal
-Feels sense of impending doom - he/she is going to die; terrified
Interventions of panic anxiety
Same as severe
Denial
Defense mechanism by which people refuse to accept reality.
Repression
Defense mechanism by which anxiety-provoking thoughts and feelings are forced to the unconscious.
