Trauma-Informed Patient Care & Assessmen Flashcards
7 cards from real CFN practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Trauma-Informed Patient Care & Assessmen flashcards as text
An elderly patient presents with multiple bruises in various stages of healing and appears fearful when the caregiver is present. The forensic nurse's priority is:
Answer: Separate the patient from the caregiver and conduct a private assessment for elder abuse
Separating the patient from the potential abuser and conducting a private interview is essential to assess for elder abuse safely and accurately.
Which of the following is an example of a trauma-informed approach to obtaining a patient's assault history?
Answer: Allowing the patient to share their experience at their own pace without interruption
Allowing patient-led narrative at their own pace honors their autonomy and avoids imposing a linear timeline that does not match fragmented trauma memory.
A patient who experienced childhood sexual abuse is now undergoing a forensic exam as an adult survivor. She freezes and stops responding partway through. This is most consistent with:
Answer: A somatic flashback triggered by the exam re-activating childhood trauma
Somatic flashbacks occur when bodily sensations during an exam trigger physiological re-experiencing of past trauma, causing the patient to freeze or dissociate.
Cultural humility in forensic nursing practice primarily requires the nurse to:
Answer: Recognize personal biases and approach each patient as the expert on their own cultural experience
Cultural humility involves ongoing self-reflection about bias and positioning the patient as the authority on their own cultural identity rather than applying stereotypes.
A forensic nurse working with a survivor of trafficking notices she is becoming overly emotionally involved and dreams about the patient's case. This is best described as:
Answer: Vicarious trauma requiring self-care, supervision, and possible debriefing
These symptoms indicate vicarious trauma; addressing it requires structured self-care, clinical supervision, and peer debriefing to sustain the nurse's wellbeing.
Which of the following best explains why trauma survivors frequently delay reporting assault for days, weeks, or months?
Answer: Fear of disbelief, shame, self-blame, and concerns about confidentiality impede timely disclosure
Delayed reporting is common and results from complex psychosocial barriers including shame, fear of not being believed, and concerns about privacy or legal consequences.
In the context of trauma-informed care, 'empowerment' as a core principle means the nurse should:
Answer: Focus on the patient's strengths and support their decision-making throughout the encounter
Empowerment restores agency by centering the patient's strengths and supporting informed decision-making, countering the helplessness trauma creates.