-
QUESTION
Stress and Coping
After having a comprehensive physical exam at the family health center, Yen Nguyen has been scheduled to have a mammogram and screening laboratory work. When she arrives at the clinic for her mammogram, she tells you she is very nervous. “I have a good friend who just found out she has breast cancer. She’s very depressed now. Do I really have to do this test?”
1. What kind of stress is Yen experiencing?
Three days later, the radiologist contacts Yen, requesting that she return to the family health center for additional films of the upper outer quadrant of the right breast. “There are some calcifications I want to check out” explains the radiologist.
1. What factors might affect Yen’s adaptation to this stress?
2. Evaluate what you know about Yen’s perception of her stress, her overall health status, her support system, and her coping methods.
3. What more do you need to know about these topics to fully answer this question?
Later, Yen calls the office, frantically explaining that she is very upset about this recent event. She says, “Not knowing is killing me. I’m so nervous I can’t stand it! I can’t sleep. I can’t eat.” She asks how she can handle the stress until she comes in for the additional tests next week.
1. What strategies would you recommend to help Yen deal with the stress?
Rubic Grading
Critical thinking skills
15.0 pts
Level 4
Questions are logically answered with feasible and acceptable interventions backed by literature.Contents
12.0 pts
Level 4
Responded to assignment questions with knowledge, backup and insight from literature.Grammar and scholarly composition
3.0 pts
Level 4
Students are articulate and no grammatical errors are noted.For reference ;
• Treas, L. S., Wilkinson, J. M., Barnett, K. L., & Smith, M. H. (2018). Basic Nursing: Thinking, Doing, and Caring(2nd ed.).
| Subject | Psychology | Pages | 3 | Style | APA |
|---|
Answer
Stress and Coping
From the case scenario given, it is evident that Yen is nervous about the expected outcomes from her mammogram. As such, it can be said that she experiences internal stress. Treas, Wilkinson, Barnett, Smith and Treas (2018) stated that stressors can equally be internal and they include anxiety, diseases, nervous anticipation of an event, as well as, negative self-talk. In addition to internal stress, Yen is likely to be experiencing psychosocial stressors that, according to Treas, Wilkinson, Barnett, Smith and Treas (2018), are external stressors that emanate from family dynamics, work, social relationships, living situations, financial strain, as well as, other aspects of people’s daily lives. Principally, Yen closely relates to a depressed person who suffers from breast cancer and this is considered a psychosocial stressor that contributes to the psychosocial stress that she is likely to experience.
Personal factors such as Yen’s overall health condition, how she views the stressors, coping techniques, previous experiences with the healthcare systems, as well as her support systems are the critical issues likely to influence her adaptions to internal and psychosocial stress she experiences. As indicated in the text, Yen’s close friend was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and this situation made Yen to be nervous and her friend to be depressed (Treas et al., 2018). Although the text has offered little information about the degree to which Yen is concerned with her friend’s predicament, an interesting idea can be generated on how Yen views the recent diagnosis of breast cancer. The stated example has provided essential information that would help establish whether there exists a family history of breast cancer or other risk factors.
Regarding Yen’s overall health condition, Treas et al. (2018) failed to provide sufficient information over the same, but the truth of the matter is that Yen has a support system because it is indicated in the text that she is married and has three children and one grandchild (Treas et al., 2018). Nonetheless, this information alone cannot be sufficient to conclude that Yen can view her family as a positive support system. Possible friends or co-workers can equally be considered a critical source of support system for Yen. Unfortunately, little information is given that can be used to conclude whether Yen views those relationships as support system. Indeed, little information is provided on specific coping mechanisms that Yen uses when stressed as this would have assisted in understanding Yen’s adaptation process.
Some of the strategies I would use to assist Yen deal with the stress she experiences include educating her on the causes, signs and symptoms, effects and treatment options of breast cancer. Similarly, I will review the process of mammography, and provide her with all the possible answers to the questions she is grappling with. On the same vein, I would let off her fears by informing her that I would immediately consult with the radiologist to get more information about her health conditions and possible medications and remedies she can use. During the stressful situations, I would assist Yen to identify and use support system as a critical adaptation technique to help her. In particular, I would request Yen to state the specific support system she receives from her family and encourage her to have a clear and honest discussion with the family so that they can continue providing her with essential support, especially this time that she is stressed. Her family would equally assist her encouraging and performing household chores or duties.
.
References
-
Treas, L. S., Wilkinson, J. M., Barnett, K. L., Smith, M. H., & Treas, L. S. (2018). Basic nursing: thinking, doing, and caring (2nd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis Company