NUR 342 Practice Exam 1 PREP
NUR 342 PRACTICE EXAM 1 PREP NEWEST 2025/2026 ACTUAL
EXAM COMPLETE 100 QUESTIONS AND CORRECT DETAILED
ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS) WITH DETAILED RATIONALES
|ALREADY GRADED A+||BRAND NEW VERSION!!
A patient with schizophrenia exhibits altered behavior and impaired thinking. This
represents dysfunction in which area(s)?
A) Behavioral only
B) Cognitive only
C) Both behavioral and cognitive
D) Neither area
C) Both behavioral and cognitive
Schizophrenia can manifest behavioral alterations and impaired thinking ability.
Mental illness can affect thinking, emotions, behavior, or combinations of these.
A nursing student is learning about mental health. Which understanding is
correct?
A) Mental health means never experiencing stress
B) Mental health includes the capacity for rational thinking and learning
C) Mental health is achieved by avoiding all challenges
D) Mental health requires perfect emotional control
B) Mental health includes the capacity for rational thinking and learning
Mental health provides people with the capacity for rational thinking,
1|Page
, NUR 342 Practice Exam 1 PREP
communication skills, learning, emotional growth, resilience, and self-esteem. It
doesn't mean absence of stress but rather the ability to cope with normal stresses.
Which historical figure's behavior demonstrates that nonconformity should NOT
be equated with mental illness?
A) Someone who always follows social norms
B) Florence Nightingale, who challenged healthcare conventions
C) Someone who avoids all social interaction
D) Someone with a diagnosed psychiatric disorder
B) Florence Nightingale, who challenged healthcare conventions
The textbook notes that applying old definitions of mental illness (based on
"strange" or "different" behaviors) to nonconformists like Florence Nightingale,
Abraham Lincoln, or Mahatma Gandhi would incorrectly label them as mentally ill.
Mental health is not based on conformity.
A patient with major depressive disorder primarily experiences dysfunction in
which area?
A) Behavioral alterations
B) Emotional functioning
C) Physical mobility
D) Communication skills
B) Emotional functioning
Major depressive disorders primarily affect emotions. Mental illness can impair
thinking (as in Alzheimer's), affect emotions (as in depression), or cause behavioral
alterations (as in schizophrenia).
2|Page
, NUR 342 Practice Exam 1 PREP
The WHO defines health as:
A) Absence of disease only
B) Physical well-being only
C) Complete physical, mental, and social well-being
D) Mental health only
C) Complete physical, mental, and social well-being
Health is "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not
merely the absence of disease or infirmity." Overall health is not possible without
good mental health.
Which factor influences society's evolving definition of mental illness?
A) Only biological research
B) Cultural norms and societal values
C) Individual preferences
D) Genetic factors alone
B) Cultural norms and societal values
Society's definition of mental illness evolves over time and is shaped by prevailing
culture and societal values, reflecting changes in cultural norms, social
expectations, and political climates.
What is the primary difference between basic and advanced practice psychiatric-
mental health nurses?
A) Basic nurses cannot provide patient education
3|Page
, NUR 342 Practice Exam 1 PREP
B) Advanced practice nurses have graduate-level education and may prescribe
medications
C) Basic nurses work only in outpatient settings
D) Advanced practice nurses cannot provide direct patient care
B) Advanced practice nurses have graduate-level education and may prescribe
medications
Advanced practice nurses (PMH-APRNs) have graduate-level education (MSN or
DNP). Depending on state laws, they can prescribe medications, provide
psychotherapy, and have hospital admission privileges. Basic-level nurses provide
interventions supporting primary, secondary, and tertiary services.
In how many states do nurse practitioners have full practice authority?
A) 10 states
B) 24 states plus DC, Indian Health Services, and VA
C) All 50 states
D) No states allow full practice authority
B) 24 states plus DC, Indian Health Services, and VA
24 states, the District of Columbia, Indian Health Services, and the VA health care
system grant NPs full practice authority, improving access to care and maintaining
strong safety outcomes.
Which role does the psychiatric-mental health nurse most often assume during
treatment planning meetings?
A) Recorder
B) Observer
4|Page
NUR 342 PRACTICE EXAM 1 PREP NEWEST 2025/2026 ACTUAL
EXAM COMPLETE 100 QUESTIONS AND CORRECT DETAILED
ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS) WITH DETAILED RATIONALES
|ALREADY GRADED A+||BRAND NEW VERSION!!
A patient with schizophrenia exhibits altered behavior and impaired thinking. This
represents dysfunction in which area(s)?
A) Behavioral only
B) Cognitive only
C) Both behavioral and cognitive
D) Neither area
C) Both behavioral and cognitive
Schizophrenia can manifest behavioral alterations and impaired thinking ability.
Mental illness can affect thinking, emotions, behavior, or combinations of these.
A nursing student is learning about mental health. Which understanding is
correct?
A) Mental health means never experiencing stress
B) Mental health includes the capacity for rational thinking and learning
C) Mental health is achieved by avoiding all challenges
D) Mental health requires perfect emotional control
B) Mental health includes the capacity for rational thinking and learning
Mental health provides people with the capacity for rational thinking,
1|Page
, NUR 342 Practice Exam 1 PREP
communication skills, learning, emotional growth, resilience, and self-esteem. It
doesn't mean absence of stress but rather the ability to cope with normal stresses.
Which historical figure's behavior demonstrates that nonconformity should NOT
be equated with mental illness?
A) Someone who always follows social norms
B) Florence Nightingale, who challenged healthcare conventions
C) Someone who avoids all social interaction
D) Someone with a diagnosed psychiatric disorder
B) Florence Nightingale, who challenged healthcare conventions
The textbook notes that applying old definitions of mental illness (based on
"strange" or "different" behaviors) to nonconformists like Florence Nightingale,
Abraham Lincoln, or Mahatma Gandhi would incorrectly label them as mentally ill.
Mental health is not based on conformity.
A patient with major depressive disorder primarily experiences dysfunction in
which area?
A) Behavioral alterations
B) Emotional functioning
C) Physical mobility
D) Communication skills
B) Emotional functioning
Major depressive disorders primarily affect emotions. Mental illness can impair
thinking (as in Alzheimer's), affect emotions (as in depression), or cause behavioral
alterations (as in schizophrenia).
2|Page
, NUR 342 Practice Exam 1 PREP
The WHO defines health as:
A) Absence of disease only
B) Physical well-being only
C) Complete physical, mental, and social well-being
D) Mental health only
C) Complete physical, mental, and social well-being
Health is "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not
merely the absence of disease or infirmity." Overall health is not possible without
good mental health.
Which factor influences society's evolving definition of mental illness?
A) Only biological research
B) Cultural norms and societal values
C) Individual preferences
D) Genetic factors alone
B) Cultural norms and societal values
Society's definition of mental illness evolves over time and is shaped by prevailing
culture and societal values, reflecting changes in cultural norms, social
expectations, and political climates.
What is the primary difference between basic and advanced practice psychiatric-
mental health nurses?
A) Basic nurses cannot provide patient education
3|Page
, NUR 342 Practice Exam 1 PREP
B) Advanced practice nurses have graduate-level education and may prescribe
medications
C) Basic nurses work only in outpatient settings
D) Advanced practice nurses cannot provide direct patient care
B) Advanced practice nurses have graduate-level education and may prescribe
medications
Advanced practice nurses (PMH-APRNs) have graduate-level education (MSN or
DNP). Depending on state laws, they can prescribe medications, provide
psychotherapy, and have hospital admission privileges. Basic-level nurses provide
interventions supporting primary, secondary, and tertiary services.
In how many states do nurse practitioners have full practice authority?
A) 10 states
B) 24 states plus DC, Indian Health Services, and VA
C) All 50 states
D) No states allow full practice authority
B) 24 states plus DC, Indian Health Services, and VA
24 states, the District of Columbia, Indian Health Services, and the VA health care
system grant NPs full practice authority, improving access to care and maintaining
strong safety outcomes.
Which role does the psychiatric-mental health nurse most often assume during
treatment planning meetings?
A) Recorder
B) Observer
4|Page
