Take the Test

1. Which statement accurately describes work-related stress?

• a. Work-related stress is typically avoidable in the healthcare field.
• b. Everyone deals with on-the-job stress in the same way.
• c. Childhood events have no impact on the way someone responds to stress at work.
• d. Work demands that are not matched to someone’s knowledge lead to stress.

2. Which bodily response occurs during the “alarm” stage of stress, when the adrenal medulla pumps epinephrine, norepinephrine, and other catecholamines into the bloodstream?

• a. Airways in the lungs constrict.
• b. Heart rate and blood pressure become elevated.
• c. Plasma levels of blood glucose decrease.
• d. Kidney clearance increases.

3. Which stage of burnout is represented by someone who begins to become aware that there are difficult days at work and whose feelings of optimism start to wane?

• a. Stage 1: Honeymoon phase
• b. Stage 2: Onset of stress
• c. Stage 3: Chronic stress
• d. Stage 5: Habitual burnout

4. Which healthcare professional is at highest risk for burnout?

• a. An experienced critical care nurse who works in the emergency department
• b. An oncology resident who often works 12-hour shifts
• c. A recently divorced single mother who works extra shifts on a short-staffed ICU
• d. A supervisor who is helping staff members implement a self-scheduling system

5. Which action is an example of crossing professional boundaries?

• a. A physical therapist believes they are the only professional who truly understands the patient’s needs.
• b. A nurse provides a patient with educational materials regarding community resources for job counseling.
• c. A social worker schedules an appointment with a patient and her family to discuss discharge planning.
• d. A physician meets with a comatose patient’s family to discuss end-of-life care.

6. Which statement accurately describes vicarious trauma as experienced by a healthcare provider?

• a. Can cause changes in view of self, others, and the world
• b. Involves feelings of resentment toward patients
• c. Seldom affects the ability to perform work-related duties
• d. Is a substitute term for the physical symptoms of anxiety

7. Which action is effective for an organization’s leaders to take in order to reduce stress in the work environment?

• a. Circulating a memo asking employees to “do more with less” due to budget cuts
• b. Ensuring the availability of mental health services to employees
• c. Using the terms vicarious trauma and burnout interchangeably
• d. Asking managers to take on additional patient care assignments along with their managerial duties

8. Which scenario demonstrates a manager taking effective steps to reduce the incidence of burnout?

• a. A new nurse manager uses shift report to criticize nurses for complaining about staffing shortages.
• b. The chief executive officer of a hospital decides to reduce funding for the employee recognition program in order to save money.
• c. The director of the emergency department convenes a staff meeting to ask employees about ways to foster a collegial work environment.
• d. The manager of the neuropsychology department assigns a new psychologist a complex caseload to help her learn to cope with the demands of the job.

9. Which action is a recommended strategy to help oneself address work-related stress?

• a. Establishing personal boundaries
• b. Feeling free to point out coworkers’ inadequacies
• c. Saying to oneself, “I can do anything!”
• d. Taking on new responsibilities at work

10. Which action is recommended to help someone showing signs of suicidal intent?

• a. Avoid asking direct questions about suicidal thoughts, since this might prompt the person to act on those thoughts.
• b. If someone is on the verge of suicide, leave the person alone in a quiet room while calling 911.
• c. Be alert for warning signs such as someone giving away possessions or increasing use of alcohol.
• d. Remember that healthcare professionals are much less likely to die by suicide than the general population.