The nurse should assess how the patient coped with crisis situations in the past.

• A. Not applicable
• B. Sometimes
• C. True
• D. False

Answer: (C)

Assessing how a patient coped with crisis situations in the past informs risk assessment, safety planning, and intervention choices. Knowing which strategies worked, which didn’t, and who supported the patient during previous crises helps tailor current support, reinforce effective coping, and anticipate triggers or patterns that might recur. This history also reveals resilience and identifies skills to build or resources to connect the patient with, all within a trauma-informed, patient-centered approach. In practice, you’d explore past crises, what the patient did to cope, how effective those methods were, and what supports were available or lacking. So, this statement is true: past coping is a vital part of crisis assessment.