Practice Question
A nurse is caring for a client diagnosed with anxiety following a car accident. The client states, "I cannot remember anything about the car accident that happened last week." The nurse recognizes the client is exhibiting which type of defense mechanism?
Answer Choices:
Correct Answer:
Dissociation
Rationale:
🎯Inability to recall aspects of a traumatic event reflects dissociative amnesia, a form of dissociation used to protect the psyche.
🎯Memory fragmentation or gaps following trauma are hallmark features of dissociative processes.
🎯Dissociation functions as an unconscious defense, separating overwhelming affect from awareness.
🎯Recognizing this pattern guides nurses to use grounding, reassurance, and trauma-informed care.
🎯Correct identification prevents pathologizing or confronting the memory loss and supports safe processing.
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This question is from Custom NSG 2320 Mental Health Exam 1 Fall 2025 which contains 45 questions.
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From Exam
Custom NSG 2320 Mental Health Exam 1 Fall 2025
45 Questions
View Full Exam Start PracticingQuestion Details
- Category: RN Nursing Exam(s)
- Subcategory: ATI Exam(s)
- Domain: RN ATI Mental Health
- Answer Choices: 4