A nurse is assessing a patient who reports feeling stress and anxiety.

The patient appears restless and is pacing in the room.

The patient is alert and oriented to person, place, and time.

Which of the following findings is subjective?

Choice A rationale
Skeletal muscles do not enable the heart to contract with each heartbeat. The heart has its own specialized muscle tissue known as cardiac muscle, which allows it to contract and pump blood throughout the body.
Choice B rationale
Skeletal muscles do not enable the bladder to contract during voiding. The detrusor muscle, a smooth muscle found in the wall of the bladder, contracts during urination to expel urine from the body.
Choice C rationale
Skeletal muscles do not enable the bronchioles to dilate in the lungs. The dilation and constriction of the bronchioles are controlled by the autonomic nervous system and the smooth muscles in the walls of the bronchioles.
Choice D rationale
Skeletal muscles do enable a hand to contract and form a fist. Skeletal muscles are responsible for all voluntary movements, including making a fist. When you want to make a fist, your brain sends a signal to the skeletal muscles in your hand and forearm, telling them to contract. This pulls on the tendons connected to your fingers, causing them to move and form a fist.

Choice A rationale
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a stress-related disorder that can occur after a person experiences a traumatic event. Symptoms can include flashbacks of the traumatic event, which the patient reports experiencing.
Choice B rationale
Episodic acute stress is a type of stress that occurs in response to specific situations or events. It does not typically involve flashbacks of a traumatic event.
Choice C rationale
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder that affects the large intestine. While stress can exacerbate symptoms of IBS, it is not a stress-related disorder in the sense of being a psychological response to stress.
Choice D rationale
Acute stress disorder (ASD) is a stress-related disorder that can occur in response to a traumatic event. However, ASD symptoms occur immediately after the traumatic event and typically resolve within a month. Since the patient reports experiencing flashbacks of a traumatic event that occurred a year ago, ASD is not the correct answer.