Answer Options:
a. “Why are you asking me when you’re able to speak for yourself?”
b. “I will be glad to address it when I see your doctor later today.”
c. “That’s a good topic for you to take up with your doctor.”
d. “Do you think you can’t speak to a doctor?”
Answer: C. “That’s a good topic for you to take up with your doctor.”
Question: A patient should be considered for involuntary commitment for psychiatric care when demonstrating what behavior?
Answer Options:
a. Nonadherent with the treatment regimen.
b. Sells and distributes illegal drugs.
c. Threatens to harm self and others.
d. Fraudulently files for bankruptcy.
Answer: c. Threatens to harm self and others.
Question: A patient says, “I know I have a brain tumor despite the results of the magnetic resonance image (MRI). The radiologist is wrong. People who have brain tumors vomit, and yesterday I vomited all day.” Which response by the nurse fosters cognitive restructuring?
Answer Options:
a. “You do not have a brain tumor. The more you talk about it, the more it reinforces your illogical thinking.”
b. “Let’s see whether any other explanations for your vomiting are possible.”
c. “You seem so worried. Let’s talk about how you’re feeling.”
d. “We should talk about something else.”
Answer: B. “Let’s see whether any other explanations for your vomiting are possible.”
Question: Shortly after a 15-year-old’s parents announce a plan to divorce, the adolescent stops participating in sports, sits alone at lunch, and avoids former friends. The adolescent says, “All the other kids have families. If my parents loved me, then they would stay together.” Which nursing intervention is most appropriate?
Answer Options:
a. Develop a plan for activities of daily living.
b. Communicate disbelief relative to the adolescent’s feelings.
c. Assist the adolescent to differentiate reality from perceptions.
d. Assess and document the adolescent’s level of depression daily.
Answer: c. Assist the adolescent to differentiate reality from perceptions.
Question: A patient tells a nurse, “I have psychiatric problems and in and out of hospitals all the time. Not one of my friends or relatives has these problems.” What is the nurse’s best response?
Answer Options:
a. “Comparing yourself with others has no real advantages.”
b. “Why do you blame yourself for having a psychiatric illness?”
c. “Mental illness affects 50% of the adult population in any given year.”
d. “Are you concerned that others don’t experience the same challenges as you?”
Answer: d. “Are you concerned that others don’t experience the same challenges as you?”
Question: Which technique will best communicate to a patient that the nurse is interested in listening?
Answer Options:
a. Restate a feeling or thought the patient has expressed.
b. Patients withdraw if silences are prolonged.
c. Silence can provide meaningful moments for reflection.
d. Silence helps patients know that what they said is understood.
Answer: C. Silence can provide meaningful moments for reflection.
Question: When group therapy is to be used as a treatment modality, the nurse should suggest placing a 9-year-old in a group that focuses on what?
Answer Options:
a. Play activities exclusively.
b. Group discussion exclusively.
c. Talk focused on a specific issue.
d. Play and then talk about the play.
Answer: d. Play and then talk about the play.
Question: Which characteristic of the website’s address most alerts the user that the site may have biased and prejudiced information?
Answer Options:
a. Address ends in “.org.”
b. Address ends in “.com.”
c. Address ends in “.gov.”
d. Address ends in “.net.”
Answer: B. Address ends in “.com.”
Question: Which assessment finding for a patient living in the community requires priority intervention by the nurse?
Answer Options:
a. Receives Social Security disability income plus a small check from a trust fund.
b. Lives in an apartment with two patients who attend day hospital programs.
c. Is an involuntary patient with a history of medication noncompliance.
d. Has a brother who can assist with transportation to the clinic.
Answer: c. Is an involuntary patient with a history of medication noncompliance.
Question: A nurse asks a patient, “If you had fever and vomiting for 3 days, what would you do?” Which aspect of the mental status examination is the nurse assessing?
Answer Options:
a. Behavior
b. Cognition
c. Planning
d. Implementation
Answer: C. Planning
Question: Which documentation indicates the treatment plan of a patient diagnosed with major depressive disorder was effective?
Answer Options:
a. Slept 6 hours uninterrupted. Sang with activity group. Anticipates seeing grandchild.
b. Slept 10 hours uninterrupted. Attended craft group; stated “project was a failure, just like me.”
c. Slept 5 hours with brief interruptions. Personal hygiene adequate with assistance. Weight loss of 1 pound.
d. Slept 7 hours uninterrupted. Preoccupied with perceived inadequacies. States, “I feel tired all the time.”
Answer: A. Slept 6 hours uninterrupted. Sang with activity group. Anticipates seeing grandchild.
Question: A nurse teaching a patient about a tyramine-restricted diet would approve which meal?
Answer Options:
a. Mashed potatoes, ground beef patty, corn, green beans, apple pie
b. Avocado salad, ham, creamy potatoes, asparagus, chocolate cake
c. Macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, banana bread, caffeinated coffee
d. Noodles with cheddar cheese sauce, smoked sausage, oranges, yeast rolls
Answer: A. Mashed potatoes, ground beef patty, corn, green beans, apple pie
Question: The parent of a child diagnosed with Tourette’s disorder says to the nurse, “I think my child is faking the tics because they come and go.” Which response by the nurse is accurate?
Answer Options:
a. “Perhaps your child was misdiagnosed.”
b. “Your observation indicates the medication is effective.”
c. “Tics often change frequency or severity. That does not mean they aren’t real.”
d. “This finding is unexpected. How have you been administering your child’s medication?”
Answer: c. “Tics often change frequency or severity. That does not mean they aren’t real.”
Question: During a session, a patient is silent, and 5 minutes remain in the session. The patient is silent for most of the session. Another patient comes to the door of the room, interrupts, says to the nurse, “I really need to talk to you right now.” What action is most appropriate?
Answer Options:
a. Telling the interrupting patient, “I am not available to talk with you at this time.”
b. Ending the unproductive session with the current patient and spend time with the patient who has just interrupted.
c. Inviting the interrupting patient to join in the session with the current patient.
d. Telling the patient who interrupted, “This session will end in 5 minutes; then, I will talk with you.”
Answer: D. Telling the patient who interrupted, “This session will end in 5 minutes; then, I will talk with you.”
Question: Two hospitalized patients resort to physical fighting when they are in the same room. During a team meeting, a nurse asserts that safety is of paramount importance and therefore the treatment plans should call for both patients to be secluded to prevent them from injuring each other. Which does this assertion indicate about the nurse who presented it?
Answer Options:
a. Reveals that the nurse has a strong sense of justice.
b. Values the reinforcement of the autonomy of the two patients.
c. Has a poor understanding of the civil rights of the two patients.
d. Doesn’t understand the actions that constitute the intentional tort of battery.
Answer: a. Reveals that the nurse has a strong sense of justice.
Question: A patient has taken trifluoperazine 30 mg/day orally for 3 years. The clinic nurse notes that the patient grimaces and constantly smacks both lips. The patient’s neck and shoulders twist in a slow, snakelike motion. Which problem would the nurse suspect?
Answer Options:
a. Agranulocytosis
b. Tardive dyskinesia
c. Tourette syndrome
d. Anticholinergic effects
Answer: B. Tardive dyskinesia
Question: A person with a fear of closed spaces enters into an elevator. Which division of the autonomic nervous system is stimulated in response to this experience?
Answer Options:
a. Limbic system
b. Peripheral nervous system
c. Sympathetic nervous system
d. Parasympathetic nervous system
Answer: C. Sympathetic nervous system
Question: A patient being treated with paroxetine 50 mg/day orally for major depressive disorder reports to the clinic nurse, “I took a few extra tablets earlier in the day and now I feel bad.” Which aspects of the nursing assessment are most critical? (Select all that apply.)
Answer Options:
a. Vital signs
b. Urinary frequency
c. Increased suicidal ideation
d. Presence of abdominal pain and diarrhea
e. Hyperactivity or feelings of restlessness
Answer: A. Vital signs
D. Presence of abdominal pain and diarrhea
E. Hyperactivity or feelings of restlessness