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NUR 2520 Psychiatric Mental Health
Nursing Test Bank 2026 Quiz Questions
and Solved Answers.
DOMAIN 1: THERAPEUTIC COMMUNICATION & THE NURSE-PATIENT
RELATIONSHIP (12 Questions)
Question 1 (Multiple-Choice)
A 24-year-old patient with Major Depressive Disorder states to the nurse, "I just feel so
worthless all the time. Nothing I do matters to anyone." Which response by the nurse
BEST demonstrates the therapeutic communication technique of reflection?
A. "Don't say that. You have so much to live for and people who care about you."
B. "You feel worthless and that nothing you do matters to anyone."
C. "Why do you think you feel this way? Have you considered therapy?"
D. "Many people feel this way when they're depressed. You'll feel better soon."
Answer: B [CORRECT]
Rationale: This response demonstrates the therapeutic communication technique of
reflection, which involves accurately restating the patient's underlying feeling or the
emotional content of their statement. By saying, "You feel worthless and that nothing
you do matters to anyone," the nurse mirrors the patient's expressed emotion without
adding interpretation, judgment, or advice. This validates the patient's experience and
encourages further exploration of feelings. Option A is false reassurance, C is a "why"
question (nontherapeutic), and D is minimizing and offering premature reassurance.
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Question 2 (Multiple-Choice)
A patient with Borderline Personality Disorder becomes angry during a group session
and shouts, "You nurses don't care about any of us! You're just here for a paycheck!"
Which nurse response BEST uses empathic reflection?
A. "I understand you're upset, but that's not a fair statement to make."
B. "You feel that the staff doesn't care about you and that you're not valued here."
C. "Why would you say something like that when we work so hard for you?"
D. "Let's calm down and discuss this rationally after group is over."
Answer: B [CORRECT]
Rationale: This response demonstrates empathic reflection by accurately capturing the
patient's underlying feeling of being uncared for and undervalued, rather than reacting
to the surface anger or accusation. The nurse reflects the emotional content (feeling
uncared for, not valued) without becoming defensive or offering premature advice. This
technique helps the patient feel heard and understood, which de-escalates emotional
intensity and promotes therapeutic alliance. The other options represent common
nontherapeutic responses: A is defensive, C is a "why" question, and D is premature
closure.
Question 3 (Select-All-That-Apply)
A patient states, "I don't see the point in taking my medication. It doesn't help anyway."
Which of the following nurse responses demonstrate the therapeutic technique of
reflection? (Select all that apply)
A. "You feel frustrated that the medication isn't helping you the way you hoped."
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B. "It sounds like you're feeling discouraged about your treatment."
C. "Why did you stop taking your medication without telling anyone?"
D. "You feel hopeless about whether anything can make a difference."
E. "Don't worry, we'll find a medication that works better for you."
F. "You seem angry that the medication hasn't met your expectations."
Answer: A, B, D, F [CORRECT]
Rationale: Responses A, B, D, and F all demonstrate reflection—the therapeutic
technique of restating the patient's underlying emotional content. Each response
accurately identifies a feeling (frustrated, discouraged, hopeless, angry) that the patient
is expressing about their medication experience. Reflection focuses on the feeling, not
the facts. Option C is a "why" question, which is nontherapeutic because it puts the
patient on the defensive and implies judgment. Option E is false reassurance, which
minimizes the patient's legitimate concern and offers an empty promise.
Question 4 (Multiple-Choice)
A patient with newly diagnosed schizophrenia says to the nurse, "I hear voices telling
me I'm a failure every single day." The nurse responds, "Hearing voices every day must
be very distressing for you." This statement is an example of which therapeutic
communication technique?
A. Clarification
B. Reflection
C. Validation
D. Confrontation
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Answer: B [CORRECT]
Rationale: This statement demonstrates reflection because the nurse is restating the
underlying emotional content (distress) of the patient's experience with auditory
hallucinations. The nurse does not question the reality of the hallucination (which would
be confrontational), nor does the nurse offer advice or reassurance. Instead, the nurse
accurately identifies and mirrors the feeling associated with the patient's experience.
Reflection is particularly important when patients express psychotic symptoms because
it acknowledges their subjective experience without reinforcing delusional content.
Question 5 (Multiple-Choice)
During the first meeting with a newly admitted patient, the nurse explains the unit
rules, introduces the treatment team, and establishes the frequency of one-to-one
sessions. According to Peplau's Theory of Interpersonal Relations, the nurse is in which
phase?
A. Orientation phase
B. Identification phase
C. Exploitation phase
D. Termination phase
Answer: A [CORRECT]
Rationale: According to Hildegard Peplau's Theory of Interpersonal Relations, the
Orientation phase is the first phase of the nurse-patient relationship. During this phase,
the nurse sets the ground rules, explains the purpose of the relationship, establishes
expectations, introduces the treatment team, and defines the parameters of the
therapeutic relationship. The patient is oriented to the environment, roles are clarified,
NUR 2520 Psychiatric Mental Health
Nursing Test Bank 2026 Quiz Questions
and Solved Answers.
DOMAIN 1: THERAPEUTIC COMMUNICATION & THE NURSE-PATIENT
RELATIONSHIP (12 Questions)
Question 1 (Multiple-Choice)
A 24-year-old patient with Major Depressive Disorder states to the nurse, "I just feel so
worthless all the time. Nothing I do matters to anyone." Which response by the nurse
BEST demonstrates the therapeutic communication technique of reflection?
A. "Don't say that. You have so much to live for and people who care about you."
B. "You feel worthless and that nothing you do matters to anyone."
C. "Why do you think you feel this way? Have you considered therapy?"
D. "Many people feel this way when they're depressed. You'll feel better soon."
Answer: B [CORRECT]
Rationale: This response demonstrates the therapeutic communication technique of
reflection, which involves accurately restating the patient's underlying feeling or the
emotional content of their statement. By saying, "You feel worthless and that nothing
you do matters to anyone," the nurse mirrors the patient's expressed emotion without
adding interpretation, judgment, or advice. This validates the patient's experience and
encourages further exploration of feelings. Option A is false reassurance, C is a "why"
question (nontherapeutic), and D is minimizing and offering premature reassurance.
, 2
Question 2 (Multiple-Choice)
A patient with Borderline Personality Disorder becomes angry during a group session
and shouts, "You nurses don't care about any of us! You're just here for a paycheck!"
Which nurse response BEST uses empathic reflection?
A. "I understand you're upset, but that's not a fair statement to make."
B. "You feel that the staff doesn't care about you and that you're not valued here."
C. "Why would you say something like that when we work so hard for you?"
D. "Let's calm down and discuss this rationally after group is over."
Answer: B [CORRECT]
Rationale: This response demonstrates empathic reflection by accurately capturing the
patient's underlying feeling of being uncared for and undervalued, rather than reacting
to the surface anger or accusation. The nurse reflects the emotional content (feeling
uncared for, not valued) without becoming defensive or offering premature advice. This
technique helps the patient feel heard and understood, which de-escalates emotional
intensity and promotes therapeutic alliance. The other options represent common
nontherapeutic responses: A is defensive, C is a "why" question, and D is premature
closure.
Question 3 (Select-All-That-Apply)
A patient states, "I don't see the point in taking my medication. It doesn't help anyway."
Which of the following nurse responses demonstrate the therapeutic technique of
reflection? (Select all that apply)
A. "You feel frustrated that the medication isn't helping you the way you hoped."
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B. "It sounds like you're feeling discouraged about your treatment."
C. "Why did you stop taking your medication without telling anyone?"
D. "You feel hopeless about whether anything can make a difference."
E. "Don't worry, we'll find a medication that works better for you."
F. "You seem angry that the medication hasn't met your expectations."
Answer: A, B, D, F [CORRECT]
Rationale: Responses A, B, D, and F all demonstrate reflection—the therapeutic
technique of restating the patient's underlying emotional content. Each response
accurately identifies a feeling (frustrated, discouraged, hopeless, angry) that the patient
is expressing about their medication experience. Reflection focuses on the feeling, not
the facts. Option C is a "why" question, which is nontherapeutic because it puts the
patient on the defensive and implies judgment. Option E is false reassurance, which
minimizes the patient's legitimate concern and offers an empty promise.
Question 4 (Multiple-Choice)
A patient with newly diagnosed schizophrenia says to the nurse, "I hear voices telling
me I'm a failure every single day." The nurse responds, "Hearing voices every day must
be very distressing for you." This statement is an example of which therapeutic
communication technique?
A. Clarification
B. Reflection
C. Validation
D. Confrontation
, 4
Answer: B [CORRECT]
Rationale: This statement demonstrates reflection because the nurse is restating the
underlying emotional content (distress) of the patient's experience with auditory
hallucinations. The nurse does not question the reality of the hallucination (which would
be confrontational), nor does the nurse offer advice or reassurance. Instead, the nurse
accurately identifies and mirrors the feeling associated with the patient's experience.
Reflection is particularly important when patients express psychotic symptoms because
it acknowledges their subjective experience without reinforcing delusional content.
Question 5 (Multiple-Choice)
During the first meeting with a newly admitted patient, the nurse explains the unit
rules, introduces the treatment team, and establishes the frequency of one-to-one
sessions. According to Peplau's Theory of Interpersonal Relations, the nurse is in which
phase?
A. Orientation phase
B. Identification phase
C. Exploitation phase
D. Termination phase
Answer: A [CORRECT]
Rationale: According to Hildegard Peplau's Theory of Interpersonal Relations, the
Orientation phase is the first phase of the nurse-patient relationship. During this phase,
the nurse sets the ground rules, explains the purpose of the relationship, establishes
expectations, introduces the treatment team, and defines the parameters of the
therapeutic relationship. The patient is oriented to the environment, roles are clarified,
