Lecture Notes Flashcards: Stress, Sleep, and Communication (Ch 32-33)

Vocabulary-focused flashcards covering stress theory, sleep disorders, and communication concepts from the notes.

Stress

A physiological and psychological response to internal or external factors that disrupt equilibrium.

Stressor

An event or stimulus that disrupts homeostasis.

Appraisal (stress appraisal)

The process of interpreting a stressor as threat or challenge.

Homeostasis

The body's regulation of systems to maintain a steady internal state.

Fight or flight

Autonomic response to stress that increases heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, and pupil dilation.

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

A three-stage physiologic response to stress: Alarm, Resistance, Exhaustion.

Alarm (GAS stage)

Initial activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and autonomic system.

Resistance (GAS stage)

Body fights back against stress; parasympathetic activity helps restore balance.

Exhaustion (GAS stage)

Prolonged stress beyond adaptive capacity, leading to dysfunction or death if unmitigated.

Distress

Stress that exceeds a person’s coping abilities and causes illness or dysfunction.

Eustress

Positive, motivating stress that can enhance performance or growth.

Allostasis

Adaptive regulatory processes that restore stability through change in response to stress.

Stress Appraisal

Judgment of whether a threat is harmful or a challenge with potential benefits.

Sense of Coherence

A viewpoint that life is comprehensible, manageable, and meaningful.

Coping strategies (emotion-focused vs. problem-focused)

Ways of handling stress; emotion-focused manages feelings, while problem-focused addresses the problem.

Sympathetic nervous system (SNS)

Part of the autonomic system driving the fight-or-flight response.

Reticular Activating System (RAS)

Brain network maintaining alertness and arousal by processing sensory input.

Thalamus

Brain relay station involved in arousal and sensory signal processing.

Hypothalamus

Brain region that triggers the HPA axis and autonomic responses during stress.

Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)

Hypothalamic hormone that stimulates ACTH release from the pituitary.

Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)

Pituitary hormone that stimulates corticosteroid production by the adrenal cortex.

Beta-endorphin

Endorphin that reduces pain perception during stress.

Corticosteroids

Hormones (including cortisol) that affect glucose, inflammation, and blood flow during stress.

Aldosterone

Mineralocorticoid increasing sodium/water retention and influencing blood pressure.

Cortisol

Glucocorticoid increasing glucose availability and modulating the immune response during stress.

Resilience

Ability to adapt and persevere in the face of stress.

Anxiety (levels: mild to panic)

Varying degrees of nervousness; progression can impair decision-making and functioning.

Stress-related GI and airway changes

Stress can increase GI motility and bronchial constriction (e.g., IBS, asthma).

Cortisol measurement

Assessment of stress via cortisol levels in blood, urine, or saliva.

Testosterone (in men)

Male sex hormone associated with various aspects of stress response.

Compassion fatigue

Burnout from prolonged caregiving and exposure to others’ suffering.

Roy’s Adaptation Model

Nursing theory guiding adaptation/positive behaviors to cope with stress.

REM sleep

Rapid Eye Movement sleep; vivid dreaming with brain activity similar to waking states.

NREM sleep

Non-REM sleep stages (1-3) with progressively deeper rest and lower brain activity.

Circadian rhythms

24-hour cycles regulating sleep-wake and other physiological processes.

Melatonin

Hormone from the pineal gland regulating sleep-wake cycles.

Pineal gland

Gland responsible for melatonin production.

Dyssomnias

Disorders of initiating or maintaining sleep.

Insomnia

Difficulty falling or staying asleep.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

Upper airway collapse during sleep with ongoing respiratory effort, causing intermittent awakenings.

Shift Work Sleep Disorder

Sleep disturbance caused by nontraditional work hours.

Jet Lag

Desynchronization of circadian rhythms after rapid travel across time zones.

Hypersomnia

Excessive daytime sleepiness.

Restless Leg Syndrome

Uncontrollable urge to move the legs, delaying sleep onset.

Narcolepsy

Chronic excessive daytime sleepiness with sudden sleep episodes.

Cataplexy

Sudden loss of muscle tone often triggered by strong emotions, common in narcolepsy.

Parasomnias

Unusual behaviors during sleep (e.g., sleepwalking, sleep terrors, enuresis, bruxism).

Nocturnal enuresis

Bedwetting during sleep.

Somnambulism

Sleepwalking.

Sleep terrors

Sudden arousals with intense fear during sleep.

Bruxism

Teeth grinding during sleep, often related to stress.

Secondary sleep disorders

Sleep problems caused by another medical condition or disorder.

Sleep deprivation

Inadequate total sleep duration or quality.

Apnea

Pause or diminished breathing during sleep.

Sleep hygiene

Lifestyle practices that promote quality sleep (e.g., regular schedule, quiet environment).

Nursing process (orientation, working, termination)

Three-phase framework guiding patient care: orientation (intro), working (planning/doing), termination (closure).

Orientation (Nursing process)

Phase involving introductions, role clarification, expectations, and establishing rapport.

Working phase

Phase of planning and implementing care; collaboration and trust-building occur.

Termination

Phase of concluding care and evaluating outcomes with patient.

Observing, Assessing, Identifying needs

Nursing steps within the process to understand patient problems.

Plan/Goal development and implementation

Creating and enacting strategies to achieve patient goals.

Trust and collaboration

Foundation of therapeutic relationships and teamwork.

Reflection

Contemplation of care and outcomes to improve future practice.

Privacy and confidentiality

Protecting patient information during communication.

Open-ended questions

Questions that encourage expansive patient responses.

Focused questions

Targeted queries to obtain specific information.

General leads

Prompts like 'Go on' to encourage patient to continue speaking.

Humor in communication

Using humor to ease mood and facilitate interaction (appropriately).

Verbalizing the implied

Articulating unstated thoughts to elicit clarification.

Paraphrasing

Restating patient statements in the nurse’s own words to confirm understanding.

Reflecting feelings

Acknowledging and naming the patient’s emotions to show empathy.

Seeking clarification

Asking for confirmation to ensure accurate understanding.

Summarizing and validating

Concise recap of the conversation and confirmation of its accuracy.

Active listening

Engaged listening with eye contact, appropriate posture, and responsiveness.

Silence

Pauses that allow patients time to reflect and respond.

Therapeutic touch

Nonverbal support such as handholding or patting to convey care.

Nontherapeutic communication

Disruptive communication that hinders rapport and healing.

Why questions

Leading questions that can imply judgment and hinder openness.

Close-ended questions

Yes/no questions that limit patient responses.

Changing subject

Shifting focus, which can hinder therapeutic conversation.

False reassurance

Overly optimistic statements that minimize the patient’s distress.

Approval/Disapproval

Judgmental responses that may suppress honest communication.

Comparing experiences

Evaluating or ranking a patient’s experiences against others.

Terms of endearment

Affectionate language or nicknames that may be inappropriate professionally.

Defensiveness

Patient reaction that blocks openness due to perceived judgment.

Referent

The event or thought that initiates communication (e.g., pain).

Sender

Person who encodes and transmits the message.

Receiver

Person who decodes and interprets the message.

Message

Information being communicated.

Channel

Method used to convey the message (e.g., spoken word, written note).

Feedback

Receiver’s response that informs the sender about understanding.

Nonverbal communication

Transmission of information through body language, posture, touch, and gestures.

Proxemics

Use of space in communication; includes intimate, personal, social, and public distances.

Intimate distance

0–1.5 feet; close, personal space for touching or comfort.

Personal distance

1.5–4 feet; typical for conversations with acquaintances.

Social distance

4–12 feet; formal interactions.

Public distance

12+ feet; public speaking situations.

Symbolic gestures

Clothing, jewelry, makeup that convey self-image and health status.

Eye contact

Gaze engagement; cultural differences influence its appropriateness.

Intrapersonal communication

Internal self-talk and reflection affecting well-being.