ATI RN MENTAL HEALTH ONLINE PRACTICE B
REVISION HANDBOOK 2026
PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY AND PATIENT
SAFETY
◉ A nurse in a clinic is assessing a client whose partner died 4
months ago. Which of the following statements indicates that the
client is at risk for complicated grief?
"I wish I had been nicer and more generous with my wife before she
died."
"I told my wife to go to the doctor, but she wouldn't listen to me."
"I think about my wife all the time when I go on outings with my
family."
"I feel so empty without my wife that it's hard to get up every
morning.".
Answer: "I feel so empty without my wife that it's hard to get up
every morning."
,The nurse should identify that when a client has difficulty carrying
on normal activities following a loss, this is an indication that there
is a risk for complicated grief.
◉ A nurse on a medical-surgical unit is assessing a client who
sustained injuries 12 hr ago following a motor-vehicle crash. The
client's admission blood alcohol level was 325 mg/dL. Which of the
following findings should indicate to the nurse that the client is
expecting alcohol withdrawal?
Somnolence
Blood pressure 154/96 mm Hg
Pinpoint pupils
Blood glucose 210 mg/dL.
Answer: Blood pressure 154/96 mm Hg
Physical manifestations of alcohol withdrawal occur in addition to
psychological effects. A client who is experiencing alcohol
withdrawal is expected to have hypertension, tachycardia, and a
fever greater than 38.3° C (100.9° F). It will be important for the
nurse to rule out infection in the client who has a fever.
,◉ A nurse is assessing a client who has borderline personality
disorder. Which of the following finsings should the nurse expect?
Emotional lability
Self-sacrificing
Suspicious of others
Grandiosity.
Answer: Emotional lability
Emotional lability is the rapid transition from one emotion to
another and is a primary feature of borderline personality disorder.
Clients who have borderline personality disorder react to situations
with emotional responses that are out of proportion to the
circumstances.
◉ A nurse is planning care for a client who is to undergo
electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Which of the following actions
should the nurse include in the plan?
Administer phenytoin 30 min prior to the procedure.
, Inform the client they may have a headache following the procedure.
Place the client in four-point restraints prior to the procedure.
Monitor the client's cardiac rhythm during the procedure..
Answer: Monitor the client's cardiac rhythm during the procedure.
The seizure induced during ECT can stress the client's heart.
Therefore, the nurse should plan to monitor the client's cardiac
rhythm during ECT via an electrocardiogram.
◉ A nurse is planning care for a client who has generalized anxiety
disorder. At which of the following levels of anxiety should the nurse
plan to teach the client relaxation techniques?
Panic
Moderate
Severe
Mild.
REVISION HANDBOOK 2026
PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY AND PATIENT
SAFETY
◉ A nurse in a clinic is assessing a client whose partner died 4
months ago. Which of the following statements indicates that the
client is at risk for complicated grief?
"I wish I had been nicer and more generous with my wife before she
died."
"I told my wife to go to the doctor, but she wouldn't listen to me."
"I think about my wife all the time when I go on outings with my
family."
"I feel so empty without my wife that it's hard to get up every
morning.".
Answer: "I feel so empty without my wife that it's hard to get up
every morning."
,The nurse should identify that when a client has difficulty carrying
on normal activities following a loss, this is an indication that there
is a risk for complicated grief.
◉ A nurse on a medical-surgical unit is assessing a client who
sustained injuries 12 hr ago following a motor-vehicle crash. The
client's admission blood alcohol level was 325 mg/dL. Which of the
following findings should indicate to the nurse that the client is
expecting alcohol withdrawal?
Somnolence
Blood pressure 154/96 mm Hg
Pinpoint pupils
Blood glucose 210 mg/dL.
Answer: Blood pressure 154/96 mm Hg
Physical manifestations of alcohol withdrawal occur in addition to
psychological effects. A client who is experiencing alcohol
withdrawal is expected to have hypertension, tachycardia, and a
fever greater than 38.3° C (100.9° F). It will be important for the
nurse to rule out infection in the client who has a fever.
,◉ A nurse is assessing a client who has borderline personality
disorder. Which of the following finsings should the nurse expect?
Emotional lability
Self-sacrificing
Suspicious of others
Grandiosity.
Answer: Emotional lability
Emotional lability is the rapid transition from one emotion to
another and is a primary feature of borderline personality disorder.
Clients who have borderline personality disorder react to situations
with emotional responses that are out of proportion to the
circumstances.
◉ A nurse is planning care for a client who is to undergo
electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Which of the following actions
should the nurse include in the plan?
Administer phenytoin 30 min prior to the procedure.
, Inform the client they may have a headache following the procedure.
Place the client in four-point restraints prior to the procedure.
Monitor the client's cardiac rhythm during the procedure..
Answer: Monitor the client's cardiac rhythm during the procedure.
The seizure induced during ECT can stress the client's heart.
Therefore, the nurse should plan to monitor the client's cardiac
rhythm during ECT via an electrocardiogram.
◉ A nurse is planning care for a client who has generalized anxiety
disorder. At which of the following levels of anxiety should the nurse
plan to teach the client relaxation techniques?
Panic
Moderate
Severe
Mild.
