Stress & Coping and Self-Concept - Fundamentals of Nursing NUR 1119 Unit 1

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts from Stress & Coping and Self-Concept topics in Unit 1 of Fundamentals of Nursing.

Stress

The process beginning with a factor that causes tension in the mind or body, leading to a physiological and psychological response (involving appraisal).

Stressor

A physical, psychological, or social stimulus that can produce stress.

Appraisal

Personal evaluation of the meaning of the event and the resources available to cope with the stressor.

Primary Appraisal

Evaluating an event in terms of personal meaning; an ongoing process; if perceived as a threat, stress occurs.

Secondary Appraisal

Consideration of possible coping strategies/resources; if demands exceed coping ability, stress occurs.

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

Three-stage body response to stress: Alarm, Resistance, and Exhaustion.

Alarm Stage

Initial reaction (fight or flight) with increases in blood volume, glucose, epinephrine/norepinephrine, heart rate, blood pressure, pupil dilation, muscle blood flow, oxygen intake, and mental alertness.

Resistance Stage

Body attempts to return to balance; adapts to stress; energy is used; repair processes occur.

Exhaustion Stage

Prolonged stress depletes energy and compensatory mechanisms; risk of long-term problems (allostatic load).

Fight-or-Flight

Physiologic autonomic nervous system response to a perceived threat.

Allostasis

The body's regulation of systems to maintain a steady state through adaptive change.

Allostatic Load

The wear and tear on the body from chronic or repeated stress.

Immune Response and Stress

Stress can impair immune function and increase risk for infection, high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancers.

Chronic Stress

Prolonged stress arising from stable conditions or ongoing roles.

Acute Stress

Time-limited events that threaten a person for a relatively brief period.

Coping

Efforts to manage a stressor; involves cognitive and behavioral strategies; influenced by age and background; no one-size-fits-all.

Compensation

Making up for a deficiency in self-image by emphasizing a perceived asset.

Denial

Avoiding emotional conflicts by refusing to acknowledge distressing facts.

Displacement

Transferring emotions from a stressful situation to a less anxiety-producing substitute.

Conversion

Unconsciously transforming anxiety into nonorganic symptoms.

Identification

Patterning behavior after another person and adopting their qualities.

Dissociation

Numbing or reduced awareness of surroundings as a coping mechanism.

Regression

Coping with a stressor by resorting to behaviors from an earlier developmental period.

PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)

A disorder that occurs after exposure to trauma, with symptoms such as intense fear, nightmares, emotional detachment, flashbacks, and depression.

Crisis

A stressful event that exceeds a person’s coping abilities; types include developmental/maturational, adventitious/disaster, and situational crises.

Burnout

Mental or physical exhaustion from constant stress or activity; may include decreased job satisfaction.

Compassion Fatigue

Fatigue experienced by caregivers from exposure to others’ trauma; a form of burnout.

Relaxation Therapy

Techniques to reduce stress (e.g., progressive muscle relaxation, breathing); benefits include lower BP/HR, less muscle tension, improved well-being; limitations include increased awareness of tension and energy demands.

Imagery

Using mental images to evoke physical changes; can be guided or self-directed; benefits include pain control and management of chronic conditions; limitations include potential anxiety and risk for COPD/asthma with certain applications.

Meditation

Focusing attention to limit stimuli; benefits include lower BP, fewer relapses in alcohol addiction, reduced depression in cancer patients, and improved productivity; limitations include contraindications for some (e.g., fear of losing control) and possible medication interactions.

Biofeedback

A mind–body technique that teaches self-regulation over physiological responses using instruments; used for stroke recovery, smoking cessation, ADHD, and lowering BP.

Acupuncture

Insertion of needles into specific acupoints to regulate energy flow and modify pain processing; used for low back pain, TMJ, migraines, depression, and addiction.

Therapeutic Touch

A energy-field approach where practitioners place hands near the body; five phases: Centering, Assessing, Unruffling, Treating, Evaluating; contraindicated with trauma history, pregnancy, neonates, and actively dying patients.

Herbal Therapies

Use of plants as medicines; not FDA-regulated; safety varies; US Pharmacopoeia (USP) labeling is used to verify safety.

Safe Herbal Therapies

Herbs considered safe when used appropriately (e.g., cranberry, ginger, gingko, garlic, chamomile, saw palmetto, valerian).

Unsafe Herbal Therapies

Herbs with potential safety concerns (e.g., calamus, chaparral, Coltsfoot, comfrey, ephedra, life root, pokeweed).

Self-Concept

How an individual thinks about oneself; subjective; a framework for interpreting and managing situations and relationships.

Identity

A conscious sense of individuality and uniqueness that evolves over life.

Body Image

Attitudes related to body appearance, structure, and function; influenced by personal view, culture, and development.

Role Performance

Perceived ability to carry out significant roles (e.g., child, friend, employee, spouse, parent); meeting role expectations enhances self-concept.

Self-Esteem

Overall feeling of worth or emotional appraisal of self; fluctuates across the life span.

Self-Concept vs Self-Esteem

Self-concept is what you think about yourself (cognition); self-esteem is how you feel about yourself (emotion).

Identity Stressors

Stressors affecting identity such as job loss, changes in marital status, abuse, dependency, repeated failures, societal attitudes, and conflict.

Body Image Stressors

Stressors affecting body image such as stroke, colostomy, anorexia, incontinence, obesity, amputation, scarring, and mastectomy.

Role Conflict

Inability to balance career and family responsibilities.

Role Ambiguity

Unclear expectations about a role.

Role Strain

Difficulty meeting the expectations of a role.

Disturbed Body Image

Nursing diagnosis describing disruption in body image.

Disturbed Personal Identity

Nursing diagnosis describing an altered sense of self-identity.

Ineffective Role Performance

Nursing diagnosis indicating inability to meet role expectations.