A client has received some bad news about a prognosis from the physician. When the
nurse comes in with medications, the client states in an angry tone, “You”re late; I was
just about to call the hospital administrator to complain.” The nurse is aware that the
client received a disappointing prognosis and understands the behavior as displacement.
The nurse is silent for a few moments to let the client collect some thoughts and control
any feelings. Which response should the nurse make next?
1. “You are really angry at your physician; why don”t you tell the physician how you
feel.”
2. “You must be really angry at me.”
3. “I”m not late if I get this medication to you within thirty minutes of the scheduled
time.”
4. “I know you heard some bad news today. I wonder if that could be bothering you.”
Answer:
A client with a poorly regulated corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) will most likely
have difficulties:
1. Relating to others.
2. Coping with stress.
3. Balancing life issues.
4. Interpreting the environment.
Answer:
The nurse is planning care for a client who has been withdrawn and isolated for the last
three days. Which action will best demonstrate the nurse’s empathy for this client?
1. Encourage the client’s attendance and participation in groups.
2. Focus on the client’s strengths to enhance self-esteem.
3. Explore the client’s feelings of anger related to powerlessness.
4. Approach the client regularly and spend time with the client.
Answer:
A client with a high level of anxiety asks the nurse for suggestions to decrease stress.
The nurse suggests which of the following successful stress management strategies?
Standard Text: Select all that apply.
1. Passive progressive relaxation
2. Playing preferred music
3. Body scanning
4. Eye movement desensitization reprocessing (EMDR)
5. Racing nonstop throughout the day
Answer:
The psychiatric-mental health nurse is planning a personal program of continuing
education to better meet the challenges of the future in psychiatric nursing practice.
What areas should be included in the nurse’s plan for continuing education?
Standard Text: Select all that apply.
1. Psychiatric nursing care in nontraditional settings
2. Psychopharmacology
3. Genetic research
4. Psychobiology
5. Physical health of psychiatric clients
Answer:
The nurse is teaching staff at a community mental health clinic about what constitutes a
mental disorder. Which comment by staff indicates to the nurse the need for further
teaching?
1. “Experiencing distressful symptoms may imply a mental disorder.”
2. “Experiencing pain and suffering may imply a mental disorder.”
3. “Being unable to function in everyday life is consistent with a mental disorder.”
4. “Grieving after a loss may signal a mental disorder.”
Answer:
During a peer group support session, a teenager shares that her little sister destroyed a
valued collection of glass animals. Another member of the group says, “I would have
killed her.” The teenager quickly denies angry feelings towards the little sister and
states, “She didn’t do it on purpose.” This is an example of the defense mechanism of:
1. Identification.
2. Projection.
3. Intellectualization.
4. Reaction formation.
Answer:
In order to improve diet, an eager mental health client bought a juicing machine. The
nurse knows that grapefruit juice may interfere with some psychotropic medications.
Upon checking the client’s medical records, the nurse finds the client’s medication
should not cause a problem with including grapefruit juice in the client’s diet. The client
is probably taking:
1. Antidepressants.
2. Anticonvulsants.
3. Atypical antipsychotics.
4. Benzodiazepines.
Answer:
If psychiatric nurses used Orem’s theory for structuring much of their nursing practice,
a major focus area for assessment would be the client’s ability to do which of the
following?
1. Adapt and function to meet various role expectations.
2. Care about self and participate in self-healing.
3. Implement self-care to meet psychosocial needs.
4. Enter into a therapeutic one-to-one relationship with the nurse.
Answer:
The nurse leading a group of inpatient clients observes a client trying to control the
group by monopolizing the discussion. The nurse knows this will most likely decrease:
1. Therapeutic alliance.
2. Leader credibility.
3. Cohesion.
4. Power and influence.
Answer:
Clients with visual hallucinations are experiencing problems in their:
1. Temporal lobe
2. Occipital lobe
3. Right frontal lobe
4. Parietal lobe
Answer:
When teaching students about suicide, the nursing instructor knows to include facts
such as:
1. Over 31,000 people kill themselves each year, and suicide is the primary reason for
their deaths.
2. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among African-American teenagers and
the ninth leading cause of Caucasian teen deaths.
3. Suicide is the 11th leading cause of self-inflicted injuries, accounting for over
325,000 people each year going to the emergency department.
4. Suicide is the leading cause of death among mentally ill clients, and over three
million people kill themselves each year according to the CDC.
5. Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death among Americans, and as many as 44% of
psychiatric emergency clients are at increased risk for suicide.
Answer:
Which of the following statements by a nursing student indicates the need for further
training on the use of CAM techniques?
1. “I should practice deep breathing exercises before trying to teach a client how to use
them.”
2. “Massage therapy can help alleviate pain for clients with cancer.”
3. “It is important to assess the client’s motivation to participate in treatment before
beginning.”
4. “These techniques should be used for all clients.”
Answer:
The nurse on a psychiatric unit looks through a suicidal client’s belongings, removing
craft materials and mirrors. This is an example of:
1. Common precautions.
2. An invasion of privacy.
3. A crime in progress.
4. Maximum suicide precautions.
Answer:
Which of the following behaviors would indicate that the nurse’s remotivation therapy
group for long-term care residents was effective?
1. Orientation to time, place, and person
2. Active discussion of dating practices in teenage years
3. Active discussion of presidential candidates in the next election
4. Orientation to the long-term care surroundings
Answer:
There are many roles involved in caring for clients in the specialized area of child
psychiatry. Which of the following diverse clinical functions includes the role of the
nurse generalist working in child psychiatry?
Standard Text: Select all that apply.
1. Administer medication
2. Utilize knowledge and skills related to the mental health needs of clients
3. Prescribe psychotropic medications
4. Utilize knowledge related to the physical health needs of clients
5. Order diagnostic tests necessary to monitor effects of psychotropic medications
Answer:
The nurse administering a lithium carbonate (Lithobid) to a child with mental
retardation monitors the child for which of the following therapeutic effects?
1. Weight loss
2. Decreased agitation
3. Weight gain
4. Elevated mood
Answer:
During a mental status assessment, the examiner asks the client to repeat these words:
motorcar, teacup, and lilies. Five minutes later the client is asked to repeat the words
again. The purpose of this exercise is to test the client’s:
1. Insight.
2. Retention and recall.
3. Recall of recent past experiences.
4. Abstract thinking.
Answer: