NR 567 WEEK 5 DISCUSSION CERTIFICATION
EXAM 2026 COMPREHENSIVE STUDY SHEET
FULL SOLUTION
◉ During a mental status examination, the nurse wants to assess a
patient's affect. The nurse should ask the patient which question?
A) "How do you feel today?"
B) "Would you please repeat the following words?"
C) "Have these medications had any effect on your pain?"
D) "Has this pain affected your ability to get dressed by yourself?".
Answer: A) "How do you feel today?"
Page: 74. Judge mood and affect by body language and facial
expression and by asking directly, "How do you feel today?" or "How
do you usually feel?" The mood should be appropriate to the
person's place and condition and should change appropriately with
topics.
◉ During a mental status assessment, which question by the nurse
would best assess a person's judgment?
A) "Do you feel that you are being watched, followed, or controlled?"
,B) "Tell me about what you plan to do once you are discharged from
the hospital."
C) "What does the statement, 'People in glass houses shouldn't
throw stones,' mean to you?"
D) "What would you do if you found a stamped, addressed envelope
lying on the sidewalk?". Answer: B) "Tell me about what you plan to
do once you are discharged from the hospital."
Pages: 76-77. A person exercises judgment when he or she can
compare and evaluate the alternatives in a situation and reach an
appropriate course of action. Rather than testing the person's
response to a hypothetical situation (as illustrated in the option with
the envelope), the nurse should be more interested in the person's
judgment about daily or long-term goals, the likelihood of acting in
response to delusions or hallucinations and the capacity for violent
or suicidal behavior.
◉ The nurse is performing a mental status examination. Which
statement is true regarding the assessment of mental status?
A) Mental status assessment diagnoses specific psychiatric
disorders.
B) Mental disorders occur in response to everyday life stressors.
C) Mental status functioning is inferred through assessment of an
individual's behaviors.
, D) Mental status can be assessed directly, just like other systems of
the body (e.g., cardiac and breath sounds).. Answer: C) Mental status
functioning is inferred through assessment of an individual's
behaviors.
Page: 71. Mental status functioning is inferred through assessment
of an individual's behaviors. It cannot be assessed directly like
characteristics of the skin or heart sounds.
◉ Diagnostic Reasoning. Answer: Process of analyzing health data
and drawing conclusions to identify diagnosis
1) Attend to initially available cues
2) formulate diagnostic hypothesis
3) gather data
4) evaluate hypothesis
◉ 1st Level Priority. Answer: Life threatening
ABCV (airway, breathing, circulation, vital signs)
Emergent, life-threatening, and require critical immediate attention.
Establishing an airway, supportive breathing and
circulation/cardiac, Vital signs.
EXAM 2026 COMPREHENSIVE STUDY SHEET
FULL SOLUTION
◉ During a mental status examination, the nurse wants to assess a
patient's affect. The nurse should ask the patient which question?
A) "How do you feel today?"
B) "Would you please repeat the following words?"
C) "Have these medications had any effect on your pain?"
D) "Has this pain affected your ability to get dressed by yourself?".
Answer: A) "How do you feel today?"
Page: 74. Judge mood and affect by body language and facial
expression and by asking directly, "How do you feel today?" or "How
do you usually feel?" The mood should be appropriate to the
person's place and condition and should change appropriately with
topics.
◉ During a mental status assessment, which question by the nurse
would best assess a person's judgment?
A) "Do you feel that you are being watched, followed, or controlled?"
,B) "Tell me about what you plan to do once you are discharged from
the hospital."
C) "What does the statement, 'People in glass houses shouldn't
throw stones,' mean to you?"
D) "What would you do if you found a stamped, addressed envelope
lying on the sidewalk?". Answer: B) "Tell me about what you plan to
do once you are discharged from the hospital."
Pages: 76-77. A person exercises judgment when he or she can
compare and evaluate the alternatives in a situation and reach an
appropriate course of action. Rather than testing the person's
response to a hypothetical situation (as illustrated in the option with
the envelope), the nurse should be more interested in the person's
judgment about daily or long-term goals, the likelihood of acting in
response to delusions or hallucinations and the capacity for violent
or suicidal behavior.
◉ The nurse is performing a mental status examination. Which
statement is true regarding the assessment of mental status?
A) Mental status assessment diagnoses specific psychiatric
disorders.
B) Mental disorders occur in response to everyday life stressors.
C) Mental status functioning is inferred through assessment of an
individual's behaviors.
, D) Mental status can be assessed directly, just like other systems of
the body (e.g., cardiac and breath sounds).. Answer: C) Mental status
functioning is inferred through assessment of an individual's
behaviors.
Page: 71. Mental status functioning is inferred through assessment
of an individual's behaviors. It cannot be assessed directly like
characteristics of the skin or heart sounds.
◉ Diagnostic Reasoning. Answer: Process of analyzing health data
and drawing conclusions to identify diagnosis
1) Attend to initially available cues
2) formulate diagnostic hypothesis
3) gather data
4) evaluate hypothesis
◉ 1st Level Priority. Answer: Life threatening
ABCV (airway, breathing, circulation, vital signs)
Emergent, life-threatening, and require critical immediate attention.
Establishing an airway, supportive breathing and
circulation/cardiac, Vital signs.
