Trauma-Informed Patient Care & Assessmen Flashcards
7 cards from real CFN practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Trauma-Informed Patient Care & Assessmen flashcards as text
A patient discloses sexual assault but then recants the story mid-interview. What is the most trauma-informed nursing response?
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.
Which neurobiological phenomenon explains why a sexual assault survivor may have no memory of key details of the attack?
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.
When conducting a head-to-toe forensic assessment on a trauma patient, which principle best reflects trauma-informed care?
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.
A male patient presents after being sexually assaulted. He appears stoic and minimizes the event. The forensic nurse's priority is to:
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.
Which of the following best describes the concept of 'secondary traumatic stress' in forensic nursing?
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.
A patient with a history of childhood abuse becomes agitated and combative during a pelvic examination. The most appropriate trauma-informed intervention is:
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.
The SAFE model in trauma-informed forensic nursing stands for:
Answer: Support, Advocacy, Follow-up, Empowerment
The SAFE model emphasizes Support, Advocacy, Follow-up, and Empowerment as pillars of trauma-informed forensic care.