Psychosocial Aspects of Trauma Care Flashcards

When providing end-of-life care to a trauma patient whose family is present, which nursing action best supports the family?

Answer: Allow family presence during resuscitation if desired, assign a dedicated nurse as family support, and provide regular updates

Family presence and a dedicated support nurse reduce trauma-related grief and improve family satisfaction with end-of-life care.

Grief following traumatic death of a patient is a normal response for trauma nurses. Which statement about nurse grief is true?

Answer: Acknowledging grief and participating in debriefs or memorials promotes resilience and reduces burnout

Debriefing, peer support, and rituals of acknowledgment allow nurses to process grief healthily, supporting long-term resilience.

A patient with a substance use disorder is admitted after trauma. Which approach best reflects trauma-informed, non-stigmatizing care?

Answer: Treat withdrawal and pain proactively, use respectful language, and involve addiction medicine consultants as appropriate

Trauma-informed care recognizes substance use disorder as a chronic illness; proactive treatment and specialist involvement reduce harm.

When a trauma patient expresses suicidal ideation with a specific plan, the nurse should:

Answer: Immediately implement safety measures, remove means if possible, notify the provider, and initiate a psychiatric emergency evaluation

Suicidal ideation with a plan is a psychiatric emergency requiring immediate safety intervention and psychiatric evaluation.

Which factor most commonly contributes to delayed PTSD diagnosis in trauma survivors seen in the emergency setting?

Answer: Focus on physical injuries and time constraints leading to inadequate psychosocial screening

The acute care setting prioritizes physical stabilization, and time pressure frequently results in psychosocial needs being under-screened.

The trauma nurse's role in organ donation notification when a patient is dying includes which responsibility?

Answer: Providing compassionate support to the family, ensuring notification of the organ procurement organization (OPO) per hospital protocol

Timely OPO notification and compassionate family support are the nurse's core responsibilities in the organ donation process.