CFN Trauma-Informed Patient Care & Assessmen 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient discloses sexual assault but then recants the story mid-interview. What is the most trauma-informed nursing response?
- Document the recantation and close the case
- Acknowledge the patient's ambivalence without judgment and allow them to set the pace (Correct answer)
- Confront the patient about inconsistencies in their account
- Immediately refer to law enforcement for clarification
Correct answer: Acknowledge the patient's ambivalence without judgment and allow them to set the pace
Recantation is common in trauma survivors; a trauma-informed nurse validates ambivalence and maintains a patient-centered, non-pressuring approach.
Question 2: Which neurobiological phenomenon explains why a sexual assault survivor may have no memory of key details of the attack?
- Malingering to avoid prosecution
- Tonic immobility causing dissociation and fragmented memory encoding (Correct answer)
- Deliberate suppression of facts to gain sympathy
- Alcohol-induced blackout regardless of substance use
Correct answer: Tonic immobility causing dissociation and fragmented memory encoding
Tonic immobility and high cortisol levels during acute trauma impair hippocampal memory consolidation, resulting in fragmented or absent recall.
Question 3: When conducting a head-to-toe forensic assessment on a trauma patient, which principle best reflects trauma-informed care?
- Proceed quickly to minimize the patient's discomfort time
- Explain each step before it occurs and obtain ongoing consent throughout (Correct answer)
- Complete the genital exam first to preserve the most critical evidence
- Limit communication to reduce re-traumatization from verbal interaction
Correct answer: Explain each step before it occurs and obtain ongoing consent throughout
Explaining each step and obtaining ongoing consent restores a sense of control, which is foundational to trauma-informed forensic nursing.
Question 4: A male patient presents after being sexually assaulted. He appears stoic and minimizes the event. The forensic nurse's priority is to:
- Accept his minimization and proceed with a brief exam
- Challenge his reaction, as male victims typically underreport severity
- Recognize that stoicism may reflect socialized coping and provide the same comprehensive care as any survivor (Correct answer)
- Refer him to psychiatry immediately before proceeding
Correct answer: Recognize that stoicism may reflect socialized coping and provide the same comprehensive care as any survivor
Male survivors often minimize assault due to societal norms; trauma-informed care provides equivalent comprehensive assessment regardless of gender presentation.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes the concept of 'secondary traumatic stress' in forensic nursing?
- Physical injuries sustained while restraining a violent patient
- The nurse developing trauma symptoms from repeated exposure to patients' traumatic experiences (Correct answer)
- A patient re-experiencing trauma during the forensic examination
- Stress arising from documentation and legal testimony requirements
Correct answer: The nurse developing trauma symptoms from repeated exposure to patients' traumatic experiences
Secondary traumatic stress (compassion fatigue) occurs when healthcare providers internalize trauma symptoms through prolonged empathic engagement with trauma survivors.
Question 6: A patient with a history of childhood abuse becomes agitated and combative during a pelvic examination. The most appropriate trauma-informed intervention is:
- Administer a sedative to complete the exam efficiently
- Restrain the patient to prevent evidence contamination
- Stop the exam, validate the patient's response, and collaborate on how to proceed safely (Correct answer)
- Document non-compliance and discharge the patient
Correct answer: Stop the exam, validate the patient's response, and collaborate on how to proceed safely
Stopping the exam and collaborating with the patient honors their autonomy and prevents re-traumatization, which is central to trauma-informed care.
Question 7: The SAFE model in trauma-informed forensic nursing stands for:
- Screen, Assess, Facilitate, Evaluate
- Safety, Acknowledgment, Forensic evidence, Education
- Support, Advocacy, Follow-up, Empowerment (Correct answer)
- Stabilize, Assess, Formulate, Execute
Correct answer: Support, Advocacy, Follow-up, Empowerment
The SAFE model emphasizes Support, Advocacy, Follow-up, and Empowerment as pillars of trauma-informed forensic care.
CFN Trauma-Informed Patient Care & Assessmen 2
A patient discloses sexual assault but then recants the story mid-interview.
What is the most trauma-informed nursing response?