A nurse is caring for a patient with post-traumatic stress disorder who is considering prolonged exposure therapy.
The patient asks, “How does this therapy work?” Which of the following responses accurately describes this type of therapy?

Choice A rationale
While understanding the concepts of right and wrong can be important in many aspects of nursing care, it may not be particularly helpful in this context. The patient’s stressors are not necessarily related to moral or ethical dilemmas.
Choice B rationale
The concepts of justified and unjustified might be relevant in some contexts, but they may not provide the necessary context to understand and deliver nursing care for this patient. These

concepts are more related to the evaluation of actions or decisions, rather than understanding a patient’s experience of stress.
Choice C rationale
Good and bad are subjective terms that can vary greatly between individuals. While these concepts might be relevant in some contexts, they may not provide the necessary context to understand and deliver nursing care for this patient.
Choice D rationale
The concepts of adaptive and maladaptive are directly relevant to understanding a patient’s response to stress. Adaptive strategies are those that help an individual cope effectively with stress, while maladaptive strategies are those that do not help, or that may even exacerbate the stress.

Choice A rationale
The adolescent’s experimentation with drugs could be a coping mechanism to deal with the trauma of the sexual assault and the subsequent posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Substance use, including drug use, is often a maladaptive coping strategy used by individuals

who have experienced trauma to numb their feelings, escape from their reality, or attempt to regain control. This must indeed be a difficult time for both the adolescent and the parent.
Choice B rationale
While experimentation is a part of normal adolescent behavior, it is not normal or healthy for an adolescent to use drugs, especially in response to a traumatic event such as a sexual assault. Drug use can lead to addiction, health problems, and further psychological distress. Therefore, it is something to be concerned about and addressed appropriately.
Choice C rationale
While it is important to understand and address the parent’s concerns, the focus should be on the adolescent’s needs. The adolescent is dealing with the aftermath of a sexual assault and a diagnosis of PTSD, and is using drugs. These are serious issues that need to be addressed with professional help. The question of which behavior to address first should be determined based on the adolescent’s immediate safety and well-being.
Choice D rationale
It is not helpful to label the adolescent’s behavior as misbehavior or to compare them to their siblings. Each child is unique and may react differently to stress and trauma. Instead of focusing on rules and comparisons, it would be more beneficial to provide support, understanding, and appropriate professional help.