AnxietyAnxiety

ObjectiveObjective

Provided with a scenario of a Provided with a scenario of a patient with signs and symptoms patient with signs and symptoms of anxiety, the nursing student of anxiety, the nursing student will be able to categorize the level will be able to categorize the level of anxiety exhibited by the of anxiety exhibited by the patient, according to the criterion patient, according to the criterion of the 4 levels of anxiety found in of the 4 levels of anxiety found in your Varcarolis’ text.your Varcarolis’ text.

AnxietyAnxiety

Response to a stressful Response to a stressful situationsituation

Results from a threat Results from a threat (real or perceived) (real or perceived)

Levels of AnxietyLevels of Anxiety

MildMild

ModerateModerate

SevereSevere

PanicPanic

Mild AnxietyMild Anxiety

Perceptual field heightenedPerceptual field heightened

Grasps what is happeningGrasps what is happening

Identifies disturbing thingsIdentifies disturbing things

Can work toward a goalCan work toward a goal

Can examine alternativesCan examine alternatives

Mild AnxietyMild Anxiety

Experiences slight discomfortExperiences slight discomfort RestlessnessRestlessness IrritabilityIrritability Mild tension relieving Mild tension relieving

behaviorsbehaviors

Moderate AnxietyModerate Anxiety

Perceptual field narrowsPerceptual field narrows Selective inattentionSelective inattention Needs to have things pointed Needs to have things pointed

outout Problem solving ability Problem solving ability

moderately impairedmoderately impaired Benefit from guidance/supportBenefit from guidance/support

Moderate AnxietyModerate Anxiety

Shaky voice, concentration Shaky voice, concentration difficultdifficult

Sympathetic nervous system Sympathetic nervous system symptomssymptoms

Moderate AnxietyModerate Anxiety

Mild somatic complaintsMild somatic complaints

Severe AnxietySevere Anxiety

Perceptual field greatly reducedPerceptual field greatly reduced

Learning & problem solving not Learning & problem solving not possiblepossible

Attention scatteredAttention scattered Self-absorbedSelf-absorbed

Severe AnxietySevere Anxiety

Can’t attend to events or see Can’t attend to events or see connectionsconnections

Perceptions distortedPerceptions distorted

Feelings of dread/doomFeelings of dread/doom

Severe AnxietySevere Anxiety

Sympathetic nervous system Sympathetic nervous system symptoms symptoms

Severe AnxietySevere Anxiety

Confusion, purposeless activityConfusion, purposeless activity

Severe AnxietySevere Anxiety

Somatic symptoms increaseSomatic symptoms increase

Panic Level Anxiety Panic Level Anxiety www.everyhomeremedy.com/20/0609/0609/06

Unable to focus on Unable to focus on environmentenvironment

Terror, emotional paralysisTerror, emotional paralysis

Panic Level AnxietyPanic Level Anxiety

Hallucinations/delusionsHallucinations/delusions

Muteness, severe withdrawal, Muteness, severe withdrawal, immobilityimmobility

Extreme agitation, severe shakinessExtreme agitation, severe shakiness

Panic Level AnxietyPanic Level Anxiety

Disorganized, irrational Disorganized, irrational thinkingthinking

Unintelligible speechUnintelligible speech

AnxietyAnxiety

Are you prepared to assess Are you prepared to assess youryour

patient’s anxiety level?patient’s anxiety level?