HESI CASE STUDY - PSYCHIATRIC/MENTAL
HEALTH PRACTICE EXAM WITH 100%
CORRECT ANSWER: 2026
At the first meeting of a group of older adults at a daycare center for the elderly,
the nurse asks one of the members what kinds of things she would like to do with
the group. The older woman shrugs her shoulders and says, "You tell me, you're
the leader." What is the best response for the nurse to make?
A) "Yes, I am the leader today. Would you like to be the leader tomorrow?"
B) "Yes, I will be leading this group. What would you like to accomplish during
this time?"
C) "Yes, I have been assigned to be the leader of this group. I will be here for the
next six weeks."
D) "Yes, I am the leader. You seem angry about not being the leader yourself."
CORRECT ANSWER: B. "Yes, I will be leading this group. What would you like
to accomplish during this time?"
Over a period of several weeks, one male participant of a socialization group at a
community day care center for the elderly monopolizes most of the group's time
and interrupts others when they are talking. What is the best action for the nurse
to take in this situation?
A) Talk to the client outside the group about his behavior during group meetings.
B) Remind the client to allow others in the group a chance to talk.
C) Allow the group to handle the problem.
D) Ask the client to join another group. CORRECT ANSWER: C. Allow the group
to handle the problem.
An 86-year-old female client with Alzheimer's disease is wandering the busy halls
of the extended care facility and asks the nurse, "Where should I stand for the
parade?" Which response is best for the nurse to provide?
A) "Anywhere you want to stand as long as you do not get hurt by those in the
parade."
B) "You are confused because of all the activity in the hall. There is no parade."
C) "Let us go back to the activity room and see what is going on in there."
D) "Remember I told you that this is a nursing home and I am your nurse."
CORRECT ANSWER: C. "Let's go back to the activity room and 1see what is
going on there."
,Physical examination of a 6-year-old reveals several bite marks in various
locations on his body. X-ray examination reveals healed fractures of the ribs. The
mother tells the nurse that her child is always having accidents. Which initial
response by the nurse would be most appropriate?
A) "I need to inform the healthcare provider about your child's tendency to be
accident prone."
B) "Tell me more specifically about your child's accidents."
C) "I must report these injuries to the authorities because they do not seem
accidental." D) "Boys this age always seem to require more supervision and
can be quite accident prone." CORRECT ANSWER: B. "Tell me more
specifically about your child's accidents."
A child is brought to the emergency room with a broken arm. Because of other
injuries, the nurse suspects the child may be a victim of abuse. When the nurse
tries to give the child an injection, the child's mother becomes very loud and
shouts, "I won't leave my son! Don't you touch him! You'll hurt my child!" What
is the best interpretation of the mother's statements? The mother is A)
regressing to an earlier behavior pattern.
B) sublimating her anger.
C) projecting her feelings onto the nurse.
D) suppressing her fear. CORRECT ANSWER: C. projecting her anger on to the
nurse
A 38-year-old female client is admitted with a diagnosis of paranoid
schizophrenia. When her tray is brought to her, she refuses to eat and tells the
nurse, "I know you are trying to poison me with that food." Which response is
most appropriate for the nurse to make?
A) "I'll leave your tray here. I am available if you need anything else."
B) "You're not being poisoned. Why do you think someone is trying to poison
you?"
C) "No one on this unit has ever died from poisoning. You're safe here."
D) "I will talk to your healthcare provider about the possibility of changing your
diet."
CORRECT ANSWER: A. "I'll leave your tray here. I am available if you need
anything else."
A 25-year-old female client has been particularly restless and the nurse finds her
trying to leave the psychiatric unit. She tells the nurse, "Please let me go! I must
leave because the secret police are after me." Which response is best for the
nurse to make?
A) "No one is after you, you're safe here."
B) "You'll feel better after you have rested."
C) "I know you must feel lonely and frightened."
, D) "Come with me to your room and I will sit with you." CORRECT ANSWER: D.
"Come with me to your room and I will sit with you."
A 45-year-old male client tells the nurse that he used to believe that he was Jesus
Christ, but now he knows he is not. Which response is best for the nurse to
make?
A) "Did you really believe you were Jesus Christ?"
B) "I think you're getting well."
C) "Others have had similar thoughts when under stress."
D) "Why did you think you were Jesus Christ?" CORRECT ANSWER: Others
have has similar thoughts when under stress
A nurse working in the emergency room of a children's hospital admits a child
whose injuries could have resulted from abuse. Which statement most accurately
describes the nurse's responsibility in cases of suspected child abuse?
A) The nurse should obtain objective data such as x-rays before reporting
suspicions to the authorities.
B) The nurse should confirm any suspicions of child abuse with the
healthcare provider before reporting to the authorities.
C) The nurse should report any case of suspected child abuse to the nurse in
charge. D) The nurse should note in the client's record any suspicions of child
abuse so that a history of such suspicions can be tracked. CORRECT ANSWER:
C. The nurse should report any case of suspected child abuse to the nurse in
charge
A client who is being treated with lithium carbonate for bipolar disorder develops
diarrhea, vomiting, and drowsiness. What action should the nurse take?
A) Notify the healthcare provider immediately and prepare for administration
of an antidote.
B) Notify the healthcare provider of the symptoms prior to the next
administration of the drug.
C) Record the symptoms as normal side effects and continue administration
of the prescribed dosage.
D) Hold the medication and refuse to administer additional amounts of the
drug. CORRECT ANSWER: B. Notify the healthcare provider of the symptoms
prior to the next administration of the drug.
A client on the psychiatric unit appears to imitate a certain nurse on the unit.
The client seeks out this particular nurse and imitates her mannerisms. The
nurse knows that the client is using which defense mechanism? A) Sublimation.
B) Identification.
C) Introjection.
D) Repression. CORRECT ANSWER: B. Identification
HEALTH PRACTICE EXAM WITH 100%
CORRECT ANSWER: 2026
At the first meeting of a group of older adults at a daycare center for the elderly,
the nurse asks one of the members what kinds of things she would like to do with
the group. The older woman shrugs her shoulders and says, "You tell me, you're
the leader." What is the best response for the nurse to make?
A) "Yes, I am the leader today. Would you like to be the leader tomorrow?"
B) "Yes, I will be leading this group. What would you like to accomplish during
this time?"
C) "Yes, I have been assigned to be the leader of this group. I will be here for the
next six weeks."
D) "Yes, I am the leader. You seem angry about not being the leader yourself."
CORRECT ANSWER: B. "Yes, I will be leading this group. What would you like
to accomplish during this time?"
Over a period of several weeks, one male participant of a socialization group at a
community day care center for the elderly monopolizes most of the group's time
and interrupts others when they are talking. What is the best action for the nurse
to take in this situation?
A) Talk to the client outside the group about his behavior during group meetings.
B) Remind the client to allow others in the group a chance to talk.
C) Allow the group to handle the problem.
D) Ask the client to join another group. CORRECT ANSWER: C. Allow the group
to handle the problem.
An 86-year-old female client with Alzheimer's disease is wandering the busy halls
of the extended care facility and asks the nurse, "Where should I stand for the
parade?" Which response is best for the nurse to provide?
A) "Anywhere you want to stand as long as you do not get hurt by those in the
parade."
B) "You are confused because of all the activity in the hall. There is no parade."
C) "Let us go back to the activity room and see what is going on in there."
D) "Remember I told you that this is a nursing home and I am your nurse."
CORRECT ANSWER: C. "Let's go back to the activity room and 1see what is
going on there."
,Physical examination of a 6-year-old reveals several bite marks in various
locations on his body. X-ray examination reveals healed fractures of the ribs. The
mother tells the nurse that her child is always having accidents. Which initial
response by the nurse would be most appropriate?
A) "I need to inform the healthcare provider about your child's tendency to be
accident prone."
B) "Tell me more specifically about your child's accidents."
C) "I must report these injuries to the authorities because they do not seem
accidental." D) "Boys this age always seem to require more supervision and
can be quite accident prone." CORRECT ANSWER: B. "Tell me more
specifically about your child's accidents."
A child is brought to the emergency room with a broken arm. Because of other
injuries, the nurse suspects the child may be a victim of abuse. When the nurse
tries to give the child an injection, the child's mother becomes very loud and
shouts, "I won't leave my son! Don't you touch him! You'll hurt my child!" What
is the best interpretation of the mother's statements? The mother is A)
regressing to an earlier behavior pattern.
B) sublimating her anger.
C) projecting her feelings onto the nurse.
D) suppressing her fear. CORRECT ANSWER: C. projecting her anger on to the
nurse
A 38-year-old female client is admitted with a diagnosis of paranoid
schizophrenia. When her tray is brought to her, she refuses to eat and tells the
nurse, "I know you are trying to poison me with that food." Which response is
most appropriate for the nurse to make?
A) "I'll leave your tray here. I am available if you need anything else."
B) "You're not being poisoned. Why do you think someone is trying to poison
you?"
C) "No one on this unit has ever died from poisoning. You're safe here."
D) "I will talk to your healthcare provider about the possibility of changing your
diet."
CORRECT ANSWER: A. "I'll leave your tray here. I am available if you need
anything else."
A 25-year-old female client has been particularly restless and the nurse finds her
trying to leave the psychiatric unit. She tells the nurse, "Please let me go! I must
leave because the secret police are after me." Which response is best for the
nurse to make?
A) "No one is after you, you're safe here."
B) "You'll feel better after you have rested."
C) "I know you must feel lonely and frightened."
, D) "Come with me to your room and I will sit with you." CORRECT ANSWER: D.
"Come with me to your room and I will sit with you."
A 45-year-old male client tells the nurse that he used to believe that he was Jesus
Christ, but now he knows he is not. Which response is best for the nurse to
make?
A) "Did you really believe you were Jesus Christ?"
B) "I think you're getting well."
C) "Others have had similar thoughts when under stress."
D) "Why did you think you were Jesus Christ?" CORRECT ANSWER: Others
have has similar thoughts when under stress
A nurse working in the emergency room of a children's hospital admits a child
whose injuries could have resulted from abuse. Which statement most accurately
describes the nurse's responsibility in cases of suspected child abuse?
A) The nurse should obtain objective data such as x-rays before reporting
suspicions to the authorities.
B) The nurse should confirm any suspicions of child abuse with the
healthcare provider before reporting to the authorities.
C) The nurse should report any case of suspected child abuse to the nurse in
charge. D) The nurse should note in the client's record any suspicions of child
abuse so that a history of such suspicions can be tracked. CORRECT ANSWER:
C. The nurse should report any case of suspected child abuse to the nurse in
charge
A client who is being treated with lithium carbonate for bipolar disorder develops
diarrhea, vomiting, and drowsiness. What action should the nurse take?
A) Notify the healthcare provider immediately and prepare for administration
of an antidote.
B) Notify the healthcare provider of the symptoms prior to the next
administration of the drug.
C) Record the symptoms as normal side effects and continue administration
of the prescribed dosage.
D) Hold the medication and refuse to administer additional amounts of the
drug. CORRECT ANSWER: B. Notify the healthcare provider of the symptoms
prior to the next administration of the drug.
A client on the psychiatric unit appears to imitate a certain nurse on the unit.
The client seeks out this particular nurse and imitates her mannerisms. The
nurse knows that the client is using which defense mechanism? A) Sublimation.
B) Identification.
C) Introjection.
D) Repression. CORRECT ANSWER: B. Identification
