The nurse is conducting a family assessment in which alcoholism by the

QUESTION

The nurse is conducting a family assessment in which alcoholism by the parents is suspected. When assessing the children within this family for symptoms of stress, the nurse recognizes that

a. the children will most likely verbalize their feelings about the stressor.
b. the children will demonstrate the ability to sort out the meaning of the illness.
c. signs of distress can include academic decline, gastric distress, and headaches.
d. physical complaints by the children can only be related to a physiological etiology.

ANSWER:

ANS: C
Signs of distress such as academic decline, gastric distress, and headaches can alert the nurse to unvoiced stress. Children express stress through behavior. Health disruptions create special problems for children because they lack the words and life experience to sort out the meaning of illness, either their own or that of a significant family member.