CAPA CAPA Anxiety & Psychological Support 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which nursing intervention is MOST effective in reducing preoperative and emergence anxiety in ambulatory surgery patients?
- Limiting family presence to reduce distractions
- Providing clear, honest information and allowing questions (Correct answer)
- Administering sedatives as a first-line measure
- Avoiding discussion of anesthesia risks
Correct answer: Providing clear, honest information and allowing questions
Patient education and open communication are evidence-based interventions that significantly reduce perioperative anxiety.
Question 2: A patient in the PACU is agitated and confused upon emergence. The nurse's FIRST priority is to:
- Apply physical restraints
- Ensure patient safety and assess for physiologic causes (Correct answer)
- Administer a sedative immediately
- Ask family members to leave the room
Correct answer: Ensure patient safety and assess for physiologic causes
Emergence delirium can result from physiologic causes like hypoxia or pain, which must be ruled out before other interventions.
Question 3: Which factor is MOST likely to contribute to postoperative psychological distress in ambulatory surgery patients?
- Short surgical duration
- Lack of preoperative teaching (Correct answer)
- Use of regional anesthesia
- Adequate postoperative analgesia
Correct answer: Lack of preoperative teaching
Inadequate preoperative teaching leaves patients unprepared for what to expect, increasing anxiety and psychological distress post-op.
Question 4: The CAPA nurse recognizes that a patient is exhibiting signs of acute anxiety. The MOST therapeutic initial response is:
- Leave the patient alone to self-calm
- Stay with the patient, use a calm voice, and acknowledge feelings (Correct answer)
- Immediately call for the charge nurse
- Administer prescribed anxiolytic without conversation
Correct answer: Stay with the patient, use a calm voice, and acknowledge feelings
Therapeutic presence — staying with the patient and using a calm, empathetic approach — is the foundation of managing acute anxiety.
Question 5: Which pediatric pain/anxiety assessment tool is appropriate for a school-age child in the PACU?
- FLACC scale
- FACES Pain Scale-Revised (Correct answer)
- Visual Analog Scale
- CRIES scale
Correct answer: FACES Pain Scale-Revised
The FACES Pain Scale-Revised is validated for children ages 4-12 and allows self-report of pain and distress levels.
Question 6: The CAPA nurse is caring for a patient with a history of PTSD undergoing ambulatory surgery. Which approach is MOST important?
- Avoid discussing the surgical experience
- Coordinate with the care team to use trauma-informed care principles (Correct answer)
- Increase sedation to prevent distress
- Limit sensory input by keeping the room dark and silent
Correct answer: Coordinate with the care team to use trauma-informed care principles
Trauma-informed care — including safety, trust, and choice — minimizes retraumatization and supports psychological safety in the perioperative setting.
CAPA CAPA Anxiety & Psychological Support 1
Which nursing intervention is MOST effective in reducing preoperative and emergence anxiety in ambulatory surgery patients?