MENTAL HEALTH EXAM
1. A nurse is talking with a client who is at risk for suicide following the death of his
spouse. Which of the following statements should the nurse make?
C. “Losing someone close to you must be very upsetting.” This statement is an
empathetic response that attempts to understand the client’s feelings.
2. A charge nurse is discussing the characteristics of a nurse-client relationship with a newly
licensed nurse. Which of the following characteristics should the nurse include in the
discussion? (Select all that apply.)
C. It is goal-directed. A therapeutic nurse-client relationship is goal-directed.
D. Behavioral change is encouraged. A therapeutic nurse-client relationship encourages
positive behavioral change.
E. A termination date is established. A therapeutic nurse-client relationship has an
established termination date.
3. A nurse is in the working phase of a therapeutic relationship with a client who has
methamphetamine use disorder. Which of the following actions indicates transference
behavior?
B. The client accuses the nurse of telling him what to do just like his ex-girlfriend. When
a client views the nurse as having characteristics of another person who has been
significant to his personallife, such as his ex-girlfriend, this indicates transference.
4. A nurse is planning care for the termination phase of a nurse-client relationship. Which of
the following actions should the nurse include in the plan of care?
A. Discussing ways to use new behaviors into life is an appropriate task for the
termination phase.
5. A nurse is orienting a new clientto a mental health unit. When explaining the unit’s
community meetings, which of the following statements should the nurse make?
C. “You and the other clients will meet with staff to discuss common problems.”
Community meetings are an opportunity for clients to discuss common problems or
issues affecting all members of the unit.
Chapter 6
,1. A nurse is caring for several clients who are attending community‐based mental health
programs. Whichof the following clients should the nurse plan to visit first?
C. A client who says he is hearing a voice that tells him he is not worthy of living
anymore. A client who hears a voice telling him he is not worthy is at greatest risk for
self‐harm, and the nurse should visit this client first.
2. A community mental health nurse is planning care to address the issue of depression
among older adult clients in the community. Which of the following interventions should
the nurse plan as a method of tertiary prevention?
C. establishing rehabilitation programs to decrease the effects of depression.
Rehabilitation programs are an example of tertiary prevention. tertiary prevention deals
with prevention of further problems in clients already diagnosed with mental illness.
3. A nurse is working in a community mental health facility. Whichof the following services
doesthis type of program provide? (select all that apply.)
A. educational groups
B. Medication dispensing programs
C. individual counseling programs
E. Family therapy
4. A nurse in an acute mental health facility is assisting with discharge planning for a client
who has a severe mental illness and requires supervision much of the time. the client’s
wife works all day but is home by late afternoon. Which of the following strategies
should the nurse suggest as appropriate follow‐up care?
C. attending a partial hospitalization program. A partial hospitalization program can
provide treatment during the day while allowing the client to spend nights at home, as
long as a responsible family member is present.
5. A nurse is caring for a group of clients. Which of the following clients should a nurse
consider for referral to an assertive community treatment (act) group?
1. B. a client who lives at home and keeps “forgetting” to come in for his monthly
antipsychotic injection for schizophrenia. An ACT group works with clients who are
nonadherent with traditional therapy, such as the client in a home setting who keeps
“forgetting” his injection.
,Chapter 7
1. A nurse is teaching a client who has an anxiety disorder and is scheduled to begin
classical psychoanalysis. Which of the following client statements indicates an
understanding of this form of therapy?
2. B. “The therapist will focus on my past relationships during our sessions.” Classical
psychoanalysis places a common focus on past relationships to identify the cause of the
anxiety disorder.
2. A nurse is discussing free association as a therapeutic tool with aclient who has major
depressive disorder. Which of the following client statements indicates understanding of
this technique?
D. “I should say the first thing that comes to my mind.” Free association is the
spontaneous, uncensored verbalization of whatever comes to a client’s mind.
3. A nurse is preparing to implement cognitive reframing techniques for a client who has an
anxiety disorder. Which of the following techniques should the nurse include in the plan
of care? (select all that apply.)
A. Priority restructuring
B. Monitoring thoughts
D. Journal keeping
4. A nurse is caring for a client who has a new prescription for disulfiram for treatment of
alcohol use disorder. The nurse informs the client that this medication can cause nausea
and vomiting if he drinks alcohol. Which of the following types of treatment is this
method an example?
A. Aversion therapy pairs a maladaptive behavior with unpleasant stimuli to promote a
change in behavior.
B. A nurse is assisting with systematic desensitization for a client who has an extreme
fear of elevators. Which of the following actions should the nurse implement with this
form of therapy?
C. Gradually expose the client to an elevator while practicing relaxation techniques.
systematic desensitization is the planned, progressive exposure to anxiety‐provoking
stimuli. during this exposure, relaxation techniques suppress the anxiety response.
Chapter 8 – Group and Family Therapy
, 1. A nurse wants to use democratic leadership with a group whose purpose is to learn
appropriate conflict resolution techniques. The nurse is correct in implementing this form
of group leadership when she demonstrates which of the following actions?
C. asks for group suggestions of techniques and then supports discussion. Democratic
leadership supports group interaction and decision making to solve problems
2. A nurse is planning group therapy for clients dealing with bereavement. Which of the
following activities should the nurse include in the initial phase? (Select all that apply.)
B. Define the purpose of the group.
C. Discuss termination of the group.
E. Establish an expectation of confidentiality within the group.
3. A nurse working on an acute mental health unit forms a group to focus on self‐
managementof medications. at each of the meetings, two of the members use the
opportunity to discuss their common interest in gambling on sports. This is an example of
which of the following concepts?
D. hidden agenda is when some group members have a different goal than the stated
group goals. The hidden agendais often disruptive to the effective functioning of the
group.
4. A nurse is conducting a family therapy session. The adolescent son tells the nurse that he
plans ways to make his sister look bad so his parents will think he’s the better sibling,
which he believes will give him more privileges. The nurse should identify this
dysfunctional behavior as which of the following?
B. manipulation is the dysfunctional behavior of using dishonesty to support an
individual agenda.
5. A nurse is working with an established group and identifies various member roles. Which
of the following should the nurse identify as an individual role?
C. A member who brags about accomplishments. An individual who brags about
accomplishments is acting in an individual role that does not promote the progression of
the group toward meeting goals.
Chapter 9 – Stress Management
1. A nurse is preparing to provide an educational seminar on stress to other nursing
staff. Which of the following information should the nurse include in the discussion?
1. A nurse is talking with a client who is at risk for suicide following the death of his
spouse. Which of the following statements should the nurse make?
C. “Losing someone close to you must be very upsetting.” This statement is an
empathetic response that attempts to understand the client’s feelings.
2. A charge nurse is discussing the characteristics of a nurse-client relationship with a newly
licensed nurse. Which of the following characteristics should the nurse include in the
discussion? (Select all that apply.)
C. It is goal-directed. A therapeutic nurse-client relationship is goal-directed.
D. Behavioral change is encouraged. A therapeutic nurse-client relationship encourages
positive behavioral change.
E. A termination date is established. A therapeutic nurse-client relationship has an
established termination date.
3. A nurse is in the working phase of a therapeutic relationship with a client who has
methamphetamine use disorder. Which of the following actions indicates transference
behavior?
B. The client accuses the nurse of telling him what to do just like his ex-girlfriend. When
a client views the nurse as having characteristics of another person who has been
significant to his personallife, such as his ex-girlfriend, this indicates transference.
4. A nurse is planning care for the termination phase of a nurse-client relationship. Which of
the following actions should the nurse include in the plan of care?
A. Discussing ways to use new behaviors into life is an appropriate task for the
termination phase.
5. A nurse is orienting a new clientto a mental health unit. When explaining the unit’s
community meetings, which of the following statements should the nurse make?
C. “You and the other clients will meet with staff to discuss common problems.”
Community meetings are an opportunity for clients to discuss common problems or
issues affecting all members of the unit.
Chapter 6
,1. A nurse is caring for several clients who are attending community‐based mental health
programs. Whichof the following clients should the nurse plan to visit first?
C. A client who says he is hearing a voice that tells him he is not worthy of living
anymore. A client who hears a voice telling him he is not worthy is at greatest risk for
self‐harm, and the nurse should visit this client first.
2. A community mental health nurse is planning care to address the issue of depression
among older adult clients in the community. Which of the following interventions should
the nurse plan as a method of tertiary prevention?
C. establishing rehabilitation programs to decrease the effects of depression.
Rehabilitation programs are an example of tertiary prevention. tertiary prevention deals
with prevention of further problems in clients already diagnosed with mental illness.
3. A nurse is working in a community mental health facility. Whichof the following services
doesthis type of program provide? (select all that apply.)
A. educational groups
B. Medication dispensing programs
C. individual counseling programs
E. Family therapy
4. A nurse in an acute mental health facility is assisting with discharge planning for a client
who has a severe mental illness and requires supervision much of the time. the client’s
wife works all day but is home by late afternoon. Which of the following strategies
should the nurse suggest as appropriate follow‐up care?
C. attending a partial hospitalization program. A partial hospitalization program can
provide treatment during the day while allowing the client to spend nights at home, as
long as a responsible family member is present.
5. A nurse is caring for a group of clients. Which of the following clients should a nurse
consider for referral to an assertive community treatment (act) group?
1. B. a client who lives at home and keeps “forgetting” to come in for his monthly
antipsychotic injection for schizophrenia. An ACT group works with clients who are
nonadherent with traditional therapy, such as the client in a home setting who keeps
“forgetting” his injection.
,Chapter 7
1. A nurse is teaching a client who has an anxiety disorder and is scheduled to begin
classical psychoanalysis. Which of the following client statements indicates an
understanding of this form of therapy?
2. B. “The therapist will focus on my past relationships during our sessions.” Classical
psychoanalysis places a common focus on past relationships to identify the cause of the
anxiety disorder.
2. A nurse is discussing free association as a therapeutic tool with aclient who has major
depressive disorder. Which of the following client statements indicates understanding of
this technique?
D. “I should say the first thing that comes to my mind.” Free association is the
spontaneous, uncensored verbalization of whatever comes to a client’s mind.
3. A nurse is preparing to implement cognitive reframing techniques for a client who has an
anxiety disorder. Which of the following techniques should the nurse include in the plan
of care? (select all that apply.)
A. Priority restructuring
B. Monitoring thoughts
D. Journal keeping
4. A nurse is caring for a client who has a new prescription for disulfiram for treatment of
alcohol use disorder. The nurse informs the client that this medication can cause nausea
and vomiting if he drinks alcohol. Which of the following types of treatment is this
method an example?
A. Aversion therapy pairs a maladaptive behavior with unpleasant stimuli to promote a
change in behavior.
B. A nurse is assisting with systematic desensitization for a client who has an extreme
fear of elevators. Which of the following actions should the nurse implement with this
form of therapy?
C. Gradually expose the client to an elevator while practicing relaxation techniques.
systematic desensitization is the planned, progressive exposure to anxiety‐provoking
stimuli. during this exposure, relaxation techniques suppress the anxiety response.
Chapter 8 – Group and Family Therapy
, 1. A nurse wants to use democratic leadership with a group whose purpose is to learn
appropriate conflict resolution techniques. The nurse is correct in implementing this form
of group leadership when she demonstrates which of the following actions?
C. asks for group suggestions of techniques and then supports discussion. Democratic
leadership supports group interaction and decision making to solve problems
2. A nurse is planning group therapy for clients dealing with bereavement. Which of the
following activities should the nurse include in the initial phase? (Select all that apply.)
B. Define the purpose of the group.
C. Discuss termination of the group.
E. Establish an expectation of confidentiality within the group.
3. A nurse working on an acute mental health unit forms a group to focus on self‐
managementof medications. at each of the meetings, two of the members use the
opportunity to discuss their common interest in gambling on sports. This is an example of
which of the following concepts?
D. hidden agenda is when some group members have a different goal than the stated
group goals. The hidden agendais often disruptive to the effective functioning of the
group.
4. A nurse is conducting a family therapy session. The adolescent son tells the nurse that he
plans ways to make his sister look bad so his parents will think he’s the better sibling,
which he believes will give him more privileges. The nurse should identify this
dysfunctional behavior as which of the following?
B. manipulation is the dysfunctional behavior of using dishonesty to support an
individual agenda.
5. A nurse is working with an established group and identifies various member roles. Which
of the following should the nurse identify as an individual role?
C. A member who brags about accomplishments. An individual who brags about
accomplishments is acting in an individual role that does not promote the progression of
the group toward meeting goals.
Chapter 9 – Stress Management
1. A nurse is preparing to provide an educational seminar on stress to other nursing
staff. Which of the following information should the nurse include in the discussion?
