Two staff nurses applied for promotion to nurse manager. Initially, the nurse not promoted had feelings of loss but then became supportive of the new manager by helping make the transition smooth and encouraging others. Which term best describes the nurse's response?

A) Altruism
B) Sublimation
C) Suppression
D) Passive aggression

Altruism is the mechanism by which an individual deals with emotional conflict by meeting the needs of others and vicariously receiving gratification from the responses of others. The nurse's reaction is conscious, not unconscious. No evidence of aggression is exhibited, and no evidence of conscious denial of the situation exists. Passive aggression occurs when an individual deals with emotional conflict by indirectly and unassertively expressing aggression toward others.