When under stress, a client routinely uses an excessive amount of alcohol. Finding her drunk, her husband yells at her about the chronic alcohol abuse. Which reaction should the nurse recognize as the use of the defense mechanism of denial?
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A
Hiding liquor bottles in a closet
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B
Yelling at their son for slouching in his chair
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C
Burning dinner on purpose
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D
Saying to the spouse, I dont drink too much!
The best way to answer the question is Saying to the spouse, I dont drink too much!.
A. Hiding liquor bottles in a closet
This might be chosen when the idea in “Hiding liquor bottles in a closet” addresses a different mechanism or priority than the one emphasized by the stem The wording does not track the stem’s main cue, so selecting it would shift the nurse away from the most precise interpretation or priority.
B. Yelling at their son for slouching in his chair
This sounds reasonable when the idea in “Yelling at their son for slouching in his chair” addresses a different mechanism or priority than the one emphasized by the stem The wording does not track the stem’s main cue, so selecting it would shift the nurse away from the most precise interpretation or priority.
C. Burning dinner on purpose
This sounds reasonable when the idea in “Burning dinner on purpose” addresses a different mechanism or priority than the one emphasized by the stem The wording does not track the stem’s main cue, so selecting it would shift the nurse away from the most precise interpretation or priority.
D. Saying to the spouse, I dont drink too much!
This fits because The nurse should associate the client statement I dont drink too much! with the use of the defense mechanism of denial. The client who refuses to acknowledge the existence of a real situation and the feelings associated with it is using the defense mechanism of denial. Need: Psychosocial Integrity Ego defenses can reduce anxiety in the short term, but they become clinically relevant when they distort reality enough to interfere with insight, relationships, or treatment adherence. From a nursing standpoint, this selection guides assessment and interventions toward what is most clinically meaningful in the moment—risk reduction, safety, accurate appraisal, and support for adaptive coping.
Conclusion
The critical step is aligning the stem’s main cue with the appropriate nursing principle and selecting the response that applies it cleanly. The remaining options either misapply the principle or overinterpret the situation.