Anxiety Disorders and Stress Q 12
A nurse at Nurseslabs Medical Center is developing a care plan for a female client with post-traumatic stress disorder. Which of the following would she do initially?
A. Instruct the client to use distraction techniques to cope with flashbacks.
B. Encourage the client to put the past in proper perspective.
C. Encourage the client to verbalize thoughts and feelings about the trauma.
D. Avoid discussing the traumatic event with the client.
Correct Answer: C. Encourage the client to verbalize thoughts and feelings about the trauma.
Planning care for a client with post-traumatic stress disorder would involve helping the client to verbalize thoughts and feelings about the trauma. This will help the client work through the strong emotions connected with the trauma and, therefore foster the belief that she is able to cope. Maintain a calm, non-threatening manner while working with the client. Anxiety is contagious and may be transferred from health care provider to client or vice versa. The client develops a feeling of security in presence of a calm staff person.
Option A: Encourage the client’s participation in relaxation exercises such as deep breathing, progressive muscle. Relaxation exercises are effective nonchemical ways to reduce anxiety. relaxation, guided imagery, meditation and so forth. Maintain calmness in your approach to the client. The client will feel more secure if you are calm and if the client feels you are in control of the situation.
Option B: This may be possible later after the client is able to verbalize strong emotions. Present and discuss the reality of the situation with client in order to recognize aspects that can be changed and those that cannot. The client must accept the reality of the situation before the work of reducing the fear can progress.
Option D: Avoiding discussion would be inappropriate. Encourage the client to explore underlying feelings that may be contributing to irrational fears. Help the client to understand how facing these feelings, rather than suppressing them, can result in more adaptive coping abilities. Verbalization of feelings in a non-threatening environment may help the client come to terms with unresolved issues.