Phelp LPNtoRN 6e

CHAPTER 3 • Adapting to Change 73

if a person has sustained a fracture, the body responds by beginning the process of healing at the site of the fracture. This would be considered recovery. If the stressor is more difficult, such as hemorrhage, adaptation may be impossible, and the outcome is exhaustion. In both cases, the individuals enter the next stage. Recovery or Exhaustion The third stage is referred to as the stage of recovery or exhaustion. The body will either recover or find it can no longer cope with the stressor, having exhausted its ability to defend itself. The effects of stress may involve the entire body. A person who experiences psychological trauma will enter a state of exhaustion and demonstrate physical and emo tional symptoms, such as abdominal pain, insomnia, or depression. If the state of exhaus tion is severe, such as the state that follows unchecked hemorrhage, death may occur. The concepts of stress and adaptation should be familiar to you from your LPN/LVN program. One’s ability to adapt to stress also describes the ability to adapt to change. Adaptation involves a person’s capacity for change as they are faced with new experi ences. Understanding how you adapt to change can assist you with some of the stress you may encounter as you return to the student role. THINKING CRITICALLY Recall a situation that has created stress for you. Review the stages of the general adaptation syndrome. Determine what physical, emotional, or behavioral changes occurred. What was the outcome of the change that took place? What is your general response to stressful situations? How do you adapt? What resources are available to you if you experience stress during the nursing program? What are some positive mechanisms you can employ to adapt to change? The NCLEX-RN Might Ask 3.2 The nurse is caring for a client in the emergency room after an automobile accident. Although there are no visible signs of injury, the client’s heart rate, blood pressure, and respirations are elevated. The client’s peripheral oxygenation level is 100%, the blood glucose level is slightly elevated, and the client is answering questions appropriately. The nurse knows that this stage of the general adaptation syndrome is: a. normal. b. alarm reaction.

c. resistance. d. exhaustion. ••See Appendix A for correct answer and rationale.

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AMBIVALENCE Another effect of change is ambivalence . This term pertains to concurrent opposing views an individual may have for a particular situation, person, or other factor. For instance, some claim to have experienced a love–hate relationship with a particular person. This means that within one’s self are conflicting emotions of love and hate. Feelings of ambivalence can occur when a person is experiencing change. During the change process, a person may have mixed feelings about what the change will involve. As an