A nurse working with clients in the critical care unit has been feeling overwhelmed and losing focus while working. Which of the following is the most important strategy in minimizing stress and preventing burnout?
Ignoring fake news
Focusing on self-care
Incorporating diaphragmatic breathing
Decreasing use of social media
The Correct Answer is B
Burnout is an occupational syndrome characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, impaired coping mechanisms, and reduced professional efficacy resulting from chronic workplace stress. Critical care nurses experience increased psychological strain, fatigue, anxiety, sleep disturbance, and impaired concentration due to sustained high-acuity clinical demands.
Rationale:
A. Ignoring misinformation may reduce anxiety exposure but does not comprehensively address physiologic and psychological consequences of occupational stress. Burnout prevention requires multidimensional interventions targeting emotional resilience and recovery. Persistent unmanaged stress contributes to cognitive fatigue and impaired psychological adaptation in healthcare workers.
B. Self-care is the most effective foundational strategy for minimizing stress and preventing professional burnout in critical care settings. Adequate sleep, nutrition, exercise, emotional support, and work-life balance improve resilience and coping capacity. Consistent self-care reduces emotional exhaustion and promotes long-term psychological stability among nurses.
C. Diaphragmatic breathing decreases sympathetic nervous system activation and temporarily relieves acute stress responses. However, it represents only one isolated relaxation technique rather than a comprehensive burnout prevention strategy. Sustainable stress reduction requires broader attention to mental health and overall physiologic recovery practices.
D. Reducing social media exposure may decrease anxiety and emotional overstimulation but alone is insufficient to prevent occupational burnout. Burnout develops from prolonged workplace stressors requiring comprehensive coping strategies and supportive interventions. Chronic stress without adequate recovery contributes to emotional dysregulation and reduced professional performance.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is ["A","B","C","D","E","F"]
Explanation
A ruptured cerebral aneurysm causes acute subarachnoid hemorrhage with sudden arterial bleeding into the subarachnoid space. This results in rapid intracranial pressure elevation, meningeal irritation, and focal neurological deficits due to disrupted cerebral perfusion and cranial nerve compression.
Rationale:
A. Light sensitivity occurs due to meningeal irritation from blood in the subarachnoid space. This triggers photophobia commonly seen in subarachnoid hemorrhage. The inflammatory response around meninges increases sensory nerve irritation leading to intolerance of bright light exposure.
B. Loss of consciousness occurs due to abrupt rise in intracranial pressure and decreased cerebral perfusion. A ruptured aneurysm can cause sudden global cerebral hypoperfusion, leading to syncope or coma depending on hemorrhage severity and brainstem involvement.
C. A dilated pupil indicates cranial nerve III compression from expanding hematoma or herniation. Oculomotor nerve dysfunction disrupts parasympathetic control of pupil constriction, producing unilateral mydriasis and suggesting impending transtentorial herniation, a neurosurgical emergency.
D. Visual disturbances occur from increased intracranial pressure and optic pathway involvement. Compression or ischemia of visual cortex or optic nerves leads to blurred vision, diplopia, or transient vision loss depending on hemorrhage location and severity.
E. Nausea and vomiting result from stimulation of the medullary vomiting center due to elevated intracranial pressure. Increased pressure disrupts normal brainstem function and is a common early sign of acute intracranial pathology including aneurysmal rupture.
F. Numbness on one side of the face reflects focal cranial nerve involvement or cortical sensory pathway disruption. A ruptured aneurysm may compress trigeminal pathways or cause localized ischemia leading to unilateral facial sensory deficits and neurological asymmetry.
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
A basilar skull fracture involves a break in the cranial base, often affecting the temporal, occipital, or sphenoid bones. It is associated with cerebrospinal fluid leakage, cranial nerve injury, and characteristic signs such as periorbital ecchymosis, Battle’s sign, and otorrhea or rhinorrhea.
Rationale:
A. Bruising over the mastoid process is known as Battle’s sign, which is a classic finding of basilar skull fracture. However, it is typically a delayed manifestation occurring 24 to 48 hours after injury. It may not be immediately present at assessment, making it less reliable initially.
B. Chvostek’s sign indicates hypocalcemia due to facial nerve hyperexcitability and is associated with conditions such as hypoparathyroidism. It has no relation to skull fractures or cranial trauma. Therefore, this finding is not expected in basilar skull injury.
C. Pooling of blood and edema around the eyes is known as periorbital ecchymosis or raccoon eyes. It occurs due to blood tracking from the anterior cranial fossa into periorbital tissues following basilar skull fracture. This is a classic and early indicator, making it the correct answer.
D. Ability to recall how the injury occurred suggests intact retrograde memory function. In basilar skull fracture, patients may experience loss of consciousness or amnesia depending on severity. This finding is not specific or expected and does not indicate skull base injury.
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