Answer Options:
a. “Do you often feel fat?”
b. “Who plans the family meals?”
c. “What do you eat in a typical day?”
d. “What do you think about your present weight?”
Answer: C. “What do you eat in a typical day?”
Question: An outpatient diagnosed with anorexia nervosa has begun refeeding. Between the first and second appointments, the patient gained 8 pounds. The nurse should implement what intervention to assess patient safety?
Answer Options:
a. Assess lung sounds and extremities.
b. Suggest the use of an aerobic exercise program.
c. Positively reinforce the patient for the weight gain.
d. Establish a higher goal for weight gain the next week.
Answer: A. Assess lung sounds and extremities.
Question: While providing health teaching for a patient diagnosed with bulimia nervosa, what information should a nurse emphasize?
Answer Options:
a. Self-monitoring of daily food and fluid intake.
b. Establishing the desired daily weight gain.
c. Recognizing symptoms of hypokalemia.
d. Self-esteem enhancement techniques.
Answer: C. Recognizing symptoms of hypokalemia.
Question: Over the past year, a woman has cooked gourmet meals for her family but eats only tiny servings. She wears layered, loose clothing and now has amenorrhea. Her current weight is 95 pounds, a loss of 35 pounds. Which medical diagnosis is most likely?
Answer Options:
a. Binge-eating disorder
b. Anorexia nervosa
c. Bulimia nervosa
d. Pica
Answer: B. Anorexia nervosa
Question: Which statement is a nurse most likely to hear from a patient diagnosed with anorexia nervosa?
Answer Options:
a. “I would be happy if I could lose 20 more pounds.”
b. “My parents don’t pay much attention to me.”
c. “I’m thin for my height.”
d. “I have nice eyes.”
Answer: A. “I would be happy if I could lose 20 more pounds.”
Question: A nurse conducting group therapy on the eating disorders unit schedules the sessions immediately after meals for what primary purpose?
Answer Options:
a. Maintaining patients’ concentration and attention
b. Shifting the patients’ focus from food to psychotherapy
c. Focusing on weight control mechanisms and food preparation
d. Processing the heightened anxiety associated with eating
Answer: B. Shifting the patients’ focus from food to psychotherapy
Question: A patient diagnosed with anorexia nervosa virtually stopped eating 5 months ago and has lost 25% of body weight. A nurse asks, “Describe what you think about your present weight and how you look.” Which response by the patient is most consistent with the diagnosis?
Answer Options:
a. “I am fat and ugly.”
b. “What I think about myself is my business.”
c. “I am grossly underweight, but that’s what I want.”
d. “I am a few pounds overweight, but I can live with it.”
Answer: A. “I am fat and ugly.”
Question: Which nursing intervention has priority as a patient diagnosed with anorexia nervosa begins to gain weight?
Answer Options:
a. Assess for depression and anxiety.
b. Observe for adverse effects of refeeding.
c. Communicate empathy for the patient’s feelings.
d. Help the patient balance energy expenditure and caloric intake.
Answer: B. Observe for adverse effects of refeeding.
Question: A patient diagnosed with anorexia nervosa is hospitalized for treatment. What features should the milieu provide? (Select all that apply.)
Answer Options:
a. Flexible mealtimes
b. Unscheduled weight checks
c. Adherence to a selected menu
d. Observation during and after meals
e. Monitoring during bathroom trips
f. Privileges correlated with emotional expression
Answer: C. Adherence to a selected menu
D. Observation during and after meals
E. Monitoring during bathroom trips f. Privileges correlated with emotional expression
Question: A patient referred to the eating disorders clinic has lost 35 pounds in 3 months and has developed amenorrhea. For which physical manifestations of anorexia nervosa should a nurse assess? (Select all that apply.)
Answer Options:
a. Hypothermia
b. Parotid swelling
c. Constipation
d. Hypotension
e. Dental caries
f. Bingeing
Answer: A, C, D, F
Question: Which personality characteristic is a nurse most likely to assess in a patient diagnosed with anorexia nervosa?
Answer Options:
a. Carefree flexibility
b. Rigidity, perfectionism
c. Open displays of emotion
d. High spirits and optimism
Answer: B. Rigidity, perfectionism
Question: Disturbed body image is the nursing diagnosis for a patient diagnosed with an eating disorder. Which outcome indicator is most appropriate to monitor?
Answer Options:
a. Weight, muscle, and fat are congruent with height, frame, age, and sex.
b. Calorie intake is within the required parameters of the prescribed diet plan.
c. Weight reflects the established normal range for the patient.
d. The patient expresses satisfaction with body appearance.
Answer: D. The patient expresses satisfaction with body appearance.
Question: A nurse assesses the health status of veterans of the war in Afghanistan. Screening will be a priority for signs and symptoms of which health problems? (Select all that apply.)
Answer Options:
a. Schizophrenia
b. Eating disorder
c. Traumatic brain injury
d. Seasonal affective disorder
e. Posttraumatic stress disorder
Answer: C. Traumatic brain injury
E. Posttraumatic stress disorder
Question: As a patient admitted to the eating disorders unit undresses, a nurse observes that the patient’s body is covered by fine, downy hair. The patient weighs 70 pounds and is 5 feet, 4 inches tall. Which condition should be documented?
Answer Options:
a. Amenorrhea
b. Alopecia
c. Lanugo
d. Stupor
Answer: C. Lanugo
Question: A patient being admitted to the eating disorders unit has a yellow cast to the skin and fine downy hair covering the body. The patient weighs 70 pounds; height is 5 feet, 4 inches. The patient is quiet and says only, “I won’t eat until I look thin.” What is the priority initial nursing diagnosis?
Answer Options:
a. Anxiety, related to fear of weight gain
b. Disturbed body image, related to weight loss
c. Ineffective coping, related to lack of conflict resolution skills
d. Imbalanced nutrition: less than body requirements, related to self-starvation
Answer: D. Imbalanced nutrition: less than body requirements, related to self-starvation
Question: When observing a patient diagnosed with anorexia nervosa vigorously exercising before gaining the agreed-upon weekly weight, what response should the nurse provide?
Answer Options:
a. “You and I will have to sit down and discuss this problem.”
b. “It bothers me to see you exercising. You’ll lose more weight.”
c. “Let’s discuss the relationship between exercise and weight loss and how that affects your body.”
d. “According to our agreement, no exercising is permitted until you have gained a specific amount of weight.”
Answer: D. “According to our agreement, no exercising is permitted until you have gained a specific amount of weight.”
Question: Which assessment finding for a patient diagnosed with an eating disorder meets a criterion for hospitalization?
Answer Options:
a. Urine output: 40 mL/hr
b. Pulse rate: 58 beats/min
c. Serum potassium: 3.4 mEq/L
d. Systolic blood pressure: 62 mm Hg
Answer: D. Systolic blood pressure: 62 mm Hg
Question: Physical assessment of a patient diagnosed with bulimia nervosa often reveals what data?
Answer Options:
a. Prominent parotid glands
b. Peripheral edema
c. Thin, brittle hair
d. Amenorrhea
Answer: A. Prominent parotid glands
Question: A patient diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. The body weight is 85% of ideal body weight. Potassium is 2.7 m/dL. Which nursing diagnosis is most applicable?
Answer Options:
a. Disturbed energy field, related to physical depletion of energy produced through caloric intake as evidenced by weight loss and hyperkalemia
b. Ineffective health maintenance, related to self-induced vomiting as evidenced by swollen parotid glands and hyperkalemia
c. Imbalanced nutrition: less than body requirements, related to malnutrition as evidenced by loss of 25% of body weight and hypokalemia
d. Potential for injury, related to electrolyte imbalances and weight loss
Answer: C. Imbalanced nutrition: less than body requirements, related to malnutrition as evidenced by loss of 25% of body weight and hypokalemia
Question: Which nursing diagnosis is more applicable for a patient diagnosed with anorexia nervosa who restricts intake and is 20% below normal weight than for a 130-pound patient diagnosed with bulimia nervosa who purges?
Answer Options:
a. Powerlessness
b. Ineffective coping
c. Disturbed body image
d. Imbalanced nutrition: less than body requirements
Answer: D. Imbalanced nutrition: less than body requirements
Question: A patient diagnosed with anorexia nervosa has a body mass index (BMI) of 14.8 kg/m². Which assessment finding is most likely to accompany this value?
Answer Options:
a. Cachexia
b. Leukocytosis
c. Hyperthermia
Answer: A. Cachexia
Question: One bed is available on the inpatient eating disorders unit. Which patient experiencing a weight should be admitted?
Answer Options:
a. 150 to 100 pounds over a 4-month period. Vital signs: temperature, 35.9 C; pulse, 38 beats/min; blood pressure, 60/40 mm Hg.
b. 120 to 90 pounds over a 3-month period. Vital signs: temperature, 36° C; pulse, 50 beats/min; blood pressure, 70/50 mm Hg.
c. 110 to 70 pounds over a 4-month period. Vital signs: temperature, 36.5° C; pulse, 60 beats/min; blood pressure, 80/66 mm Hg.
d. 90 to 78 pounds over a 5-month period. Vital signs: temperature, 36.7° C; pulse, 62 beats/min; blood pressure, 74/48 mm Hg.
Answer: A. 150 to 100 pounds over a 4-month period. Vital signs: temperature, 35.9 C; pulse, 38 beats/min; blood pressure, 60/40 mm Hg.
Question: Outpatient treatment is planned for a patient diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. Select the most important outcome related to the nursing diagnosis: imbalanced nutrition: less than body requirements. Within 1 week, the expectation is that the patient will demonstrate what?
Answer Options:
a. Weigh self accurately using balanced scales.
b. Limit exercise to less than 2 hours daily.
c. Select clothing that fits properly.
d. Gain ½ to ¾ pound.
Answer: D. Gain ½ to ¾ pound.