Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Homeostasis, Stress,
and Adaptation
Steady State
Types of Stressors
Physical
Examples: cold, heat, chemical agents
Physiologic
Examples: pain, fatigue
Psychosocial
Examples: developmental tasks/changes, anxietyproducing events (losing job)
Question
Tell whether the following statement is true or false:
The neural and hormonal activities that respond to stress
and maintain homeostasis are located in the cerebral
cortex.
Answer
False.
Rationale: The neural and hormonal activities that
respond to stress and maintain homeostasis are located
in the hypothalamus.
Adaptive Processes
Hypertrophy
Atrophy
Hyperplasia
Dysplasia
Metaplasia
Question
Tell whether the following statement is true or false:
The five cardinal signs of inflammation are redness, heat,
swelling, pain, and loss of function.
Answer
True.
Rationale: The five cardinal signs of inflammation are
redness, heat, swelling, pain, and loss of function.
Assessment
Subjective symptoms
Objective symptoms
Include indicators of stress response such as anxiety,
increased pulse, increased respirations
Consider potential indicators for stress (life events,
developmental tasks, health risk appraisal)
Nursing Implications
Are heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature normal?
What emotional distress may be contributing to patients
health problems?
Are there other indicators of steady-state deviation?
What are patients blood pressure, height, weight?
Are there problems in movement or sensation?
Are there problems with affect, behavior, speech,
cognitive ability, orientation, or memory?
Are there obvious impairments, lesions, or deformities?
Copyright 2010 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Nursing Diagnosis
Anxiety
Impaired adjustment
Ineffective coping
Social isolation
Risk for powerlessness
Risk for spiritual distress
Decisional conflict
Situational low self-esteem
Copyright 2010 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Question
A nursing student is getting ready to take a final exam.
Based on the understanding of the sympathetic nervous
systems response to stress, which assessment finding
will be noted?
A.Hot, sweaty skin
B.Rapid respirations
C.Decreased heart rate
D.Skeletal muscle relaxation
Answer
B. Rapid respirations
Rationale: Common assessment findings with the
sympathetic nervous systems response to stress are
cold, clammy skin; increased heart rate; rapid
respirations; and skeletal muscle tension.