Final answer:
For a patient in the alarm stage of stress, the nurse should assess physiological signs, like blood pressure and dry mouth. Depression is more associated with prolonged stress and not the immediate alarm stage. Prompt assessment and intervention are essential for any severe stress indicators.
Step-by-step explanation:
For a patient experiencing the alarm stage of stress, the nurse should primarily focus on physiological assessments related to the 'fight-or-flight' response. Determining the blood pressure is crucial because of the cardiovascular changes during stress. Assessing for a dry mouth is also relevant, as it is a common symptom due to autonomic nervous system activation. While checking oxygen saturation levels might not be directly related to the alarm phase, it is still important for overall patient health. However, assessing for signs of depression is not typically a response during the immediate alarm phase, as depression is generally associated with the later stage of exhaustion in prolonged stress situations.
Given the synergetic effects on the body including increased heart rate, vasoconstriction leading to potential hypertension, and adrenal hormonal secretion, immediate physiological signs should be monitored. Patients like the one arriving in the emergency department with a hypotensive state, confusion, and thirst are showing severe effects of stress accompanied by physiological imbalances, necessitating swift medical assessment and intervention.