Final answer:
In the described scenario, the nursing student is using suppression, a defense mechanism involving the intentional avoidance of thinking about certain problems until a later time.
Step-by-step explanation:
The scenario described where a nursing student decides to temporarily not think about an argument with her significant other until she finishes studying and then address the issue later is an example of suppression. Suppression is a conscious defense mechanism where one intentionally avoids thinking about disturbing thoughts, feelings, or experiences. It differs from repression, which is an unconscious process where anxiety-causing memories are blocked from consciousness without intentional effort. Unlike denial, where a person refuses to accept the reality of a fact, or rationalization, where one attempts to justify behavior with plausible reasons, suppression involves the deliberate postponement of addressing an issue.