Which of the following is a psychological cause of tachycardia a nurse might consider?

Tachycardia, which is an elevated heart rate, can be influenced by various psychological factors. Anxiety, in particular, is a significant psychological cause that can lead to tachycardia. When a person experiences anxiety, the body activates the fight-or-flight response, which triggers the release of stress hormones like adrenaline. This physiological response increases heart rate as the body prepares to respond to perceived threats, resulting in tachycardia.

Acute pain can indeed elevate heart rate, but it is primarily a physical response rather than a psychological one. Environmental noise may be distracting or stressful, potentially affecting heart rate indirectly, but it does not inherently cause a psychological response like anxiety does. Traveling can induce stress or change in routine, but it is the anxiety related to the journey that is more closely associated with causing tachycardia rather than the act of traveling itself. Thus, anxiety stands out as the most direct psychological factor leading to the condition.