NUR 256 / NUR256 Exam 3 – Concepts of Mental Health Nursing Guide (Latest 2026/2027 Update) | Galen | Complete Study Guide | Verified Questions & Answers | 100% Correct Solutions | Grade A

NUR 256 / NUR256 Exam 3 – Concepts of Mental Health Nursing Guide (Latest 2026/2027 Update) | Galen | Complete Study Guide | Verified Questions & Answers | 100% Correct Solutions | Grade A The nurse is educating a 20yr old client who has post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) about the disorder. The client was sexually assaulted during a live concert. Which of the following is included in the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD? a) looking at pictures of concerts on the internet repeatedly b) listening to the same music from the concert throughout the day c) increased attendance to live concerts with friends d) recurring dreams of the incident during the live concert. d) recurring dreams of the incident during the live concert. The Nurse is caring for a client who was found confused and wandering around a playground. The client is unable to identify who they are and where they live. The nurse expects that the client is experiencing a) Acute stress disorder b) Dissociative fugue c) Depersonalization disorder d) Dissociative identity disorder b) Dissociative fugue The nurse is caring for a 6yr old child who has post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The parents are concerned because the child has stopped playing with friends and continues to draw pictures of themselves as a bad guy. Which of the following responses is appropriate for the nurse to tell the parents? a) "Don't worry. This will pass with time" b) "just let them be alone, a child this age needs to deal with these emotions internally" c) "Let's speak with a doctor, your child needs some intense therapy" d) "This is part of the grieving process and a response to the trauma" d) "This is part of the grieving process and a response to the trauma" The nurse is caring for a client with unexplained recurring abdominal pain. Multiple medical tests have been administred with no significant findings. After assessing the clients pain, which of the following assessment questions should the nurse ask the client? a) "Have you considered this is not real pain and is in your head?" b) "Have you faked pain before to get attention?" c) "Have you tried to just take more antacids?" d) Have you been seen by anyone in the past for this problem?" d) Have you been seen by anyone in the past for this problem?" The nurse is working on the mental health unit is caring for a newly admitted client. The client was in and argument with their spouse. The spouse asked for a devoirce and suddenly the client could not hear anymore. Which of the following conditions should the nurse identify the client is experiencing? a) Factitious disorder b) Illness anxiety disorder c) Conversion disorder d) Somatic symptom disorder c) Conversion disorder The nurse is preparing a care plan for a newly admitted 73yrold client who lost their spouse last year and is suffering from depression. After assessing for suicidal ideation, which of the following interventions is a priority for this client? a) Encourage client to attend socialization groups b) Monitor nutritional intake during admission c) Provide grief counseling services while on unit d) Engage with client each shift to develop coping skills d) Engage with client each shift to develop coping skills The nurse is preparing to discharge an elderly client who has multiple diagnoses including hypertension, diabetes, anxiety, and asthma. Which of the following information regarding medication management should the nurse include in clients discharge teaching? a) "Keep track of all of the medications that are in your medication cabinet, even if not prescribed to you" b) "Attend any follow-up appointments by yourself so you dont appear incompetent" c) "Go through your medications every 2yrs to dispose of any that are expired" d) "Use a calendar to help remind you to take your medications" d) "Use a calendar to help remind you to take your medications" The nurse is providing care to dementia residents. One client shouts at another “move along, you're blocking the road” The other client turns and shakes his fist and shouts “ you're trying to steal my cane.” Which of the following is an appropriate action by the nurse? a) Instruct the clients that the behaviors are inappropriate and unacceptable b) Request a family member to come and sit with the clients while they are in time out. c) Reinforce reality by stating to both clients that they are in a residential home d) Redirect the clients to a new activity, possibly moving them to separate areas d) Redirect the clients to a new activity, possibly moving them to separate areas The nurse is caring for a client who is found screaming in a park. While assessing the client, the client asks if the nurse can hear music playing.The nurse does not hear any music. The nurse identifies the client is having a(n) a) Illusion b) Hallucination c) Delusion d) Idea of reference b) Hallucination The school nurse is providing education to teenage football players about the long term effects of head injures. Which of the following should the nurse include in the teaching? a) It is common for teens to suffer a few head injuries during adolescence b) Boxing has less head injuries than swimming c) Head injuries can lead to dementia later in life d) Teenage head injuries usually resolve quickly with no long term effects c) Head injuries can lead to dementia later in life A nurse receives a new client who has a diagnosis of a somatic symptom disorder. The client now complains of abdominal pain and vomits. What is the initial intervention by the nurse for this client? a) Call the primary health care provider for an anxiolytic b) Discuss the client's feelings and coping strategies c) Sit with the client until the episode is over d) Assess the client's abdomen and Vital signs d) Assess the client's abdomen and Vital signs The nurse is provisioning care to a client who states " I feel sick all the time and cant work. I have been applying for disability, but no one will approve it" the nurse reviews the clients tests and the lab results and notes all tests are normal. The nurse is correct to document these symptoms as a) Depersonalization b) Malingering c) Dissociative amnesia d) Body dysmorphia b) Malingering The nurse is caring for an elderly client recovering from hip replacement surgery. The client awakens in the middle of the night and asks the nurse " what hotel an I in?" the nurse asks the client " Where do you think you are right now?" The client states " At the hotel waiting for my family" Which of the following actions should the nurse take next? a) Call the family and ask them to come and see the client b) Obtain a set of vital signs and oxygen saturation level c) Help the client use the restroom to keep them from getting up on their own d) Tell the client to go back to sleep and rest to reduce fall risk b) Obtain a set of vital signs and oxygen saturation level A nurse attends a staff development conference regarding risk factors for suicide. Which of the following statements by the nurse indicates a correct understanding of the conference? a) "People with substance abuse are more likley to consider suicide" b) "Most people who try low-lethality means to kill themselves are performing attention-seeking behaviors, not really trying to kill themselves" c) "African american suicides account for the highest percentage of completed suicides" d) "The majority of people who attempt suicide refiran from providing clues of thier intent" a) "People with substance abuse are more likley to consider suicide The nurse has provided medication instruction to a client who was recently prescribed a cholinesterase inhibitor for Alzheimer's disease. Which of the following client statements indicates the need for additional teaching a) " I should stop taking over the counter ibuprofen for headaches and pains" b) "I will need to monitor my pulse since an increase can occur when on this medication" c) "I may experience some nausea and diarrhea while taking this medication" d) " this medication will provide a short lived delay in progression of my alzheimer's disease" b) "I will need to monitor my pulse since an increase can occur when on this medication" The nurse is caring for a client who has recently attacked a stranger. The client is unable to remember the events that occurred during the attack. The nurse should expect the client to be diagnosed with a) Dissociative amnesia b) Somatic syndrome disorder c) Dissociative identity disorder d) schizophrenia a) Dissociative amnesia The nurse is teaching the family of a client who has severe alzheimer's disease about the side effects of a newly prescribed medication, donepezil. Which of the following side effects should the nurse include in the teaching a) Gastrointestinal upset b) Increased appetite c) Constipation d) Insomnia a) Gastrointestinal upset The nurse is preparing educational materials for families of clients who have Alzheimer's disease. Which of the following topics discussed by the nurse indicates the need for addinital teaching? a) Anticipatory grieving b) Caretaking role strain c) Decreased risk associated with genetics d) GI side effects of cholinesterase inhibitors d) GI side effects of cholinesterase inhibitors A nurse is providing care to a despondent client who states “nothing matters anymore” which of the following responses by the nurse is most important? a) “I am not sure I understand what you are saying” b) “ Are you having thoughts of suicide?” c) “ What used to matter before the depression?” d) “Lets talk about what you would like to do?” b) " Are you having thoughts of suicide?" he nurse is providing an inservice to nursing staff about the differences between conduct and oppositional defiant disorder. The nurse should include one of the primary differences is that a) Clients with conduct disorder are usually just children who misbehave due to bad parenting, but clients with oppositional defiant disorder usually develop the disease because of tachycardia b) Clients are first diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder and then if it persists for a year, it is considered conduct disorder c) Clients with oppositional defiant disorder lack empathy, whereas clients with conduct disorder are more spiteful d) Clients with oppositional defiant disorder are angry and irritable, whereas clients with conduct disorder persistently violate the rights of others d) Clients with oppositional defiant disorder are angry and irritable, whereas clients with conduct disorder persistently violate the rights of others The nurse is assessing a client diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder. Which of the following assessment findings should the nurse expect? a) Need for constant admiration b) Difficulty being alone and presenting with submissiveness c) Preoccupation with minute details demonstrating perfectionism d) Wanting to be involved in others lives a) Need for constant admiration ( The individual with this disorder has a need for constant admiration along with a lack of empathy for others) The nurse is caring for a client with histrionic disorder who reports having "the worst headache of my entire life" the nurse should recognize that the client a) Needs immediate medical attention since they usually under report symptoms b) Needs to be assessed but may be exaggerating c) Is just seeking attention and should be told to go rest d) Is most likely having a reaction to medication and should drink more water b) Needs to be assessed but may be exaggerating The nurse is teaching a client about obsessive compulsive personality disorder. The nurse determines the client understands the teaching when the client states a) "My behavior is conscious attempt to punish myself" b) I am demonstrating control when I engage in my rituals" c) "I recognize my focus on perfectionism is unhealthy" d) "Inner voices tell me to perform my rituals" c) "I recognize my focus on perfectionism is unhealthy" The nurse has attended a staff development session about how clients with different personality disorders behave. It demonstrates a correct understanding if the nurse states "If I observe a slint who is indifferent to the staff praise, disinterested in other clients in the program, and emotionally constricted then they are displaying signs of a) Schizoid personality disorder b) Histrionic personality disorder c) Paranoid personality disorder d) Narcissistic personality disorde a) Schizoid personality disorder The nurse is caring for a client who has an avoidant personality disorder. Which of the following situations is most likely to occur with this disorder? a) Recurring illusions b) Social isolation c) Egocentric d) Manipulative b) Social isolation The nurse preceptor is observing a newly hired nurse perform an admission on a client with borderline personality disorder. The newly hired nurse asks the client to review and sign the admission forms and then leaves the room. Which of the following interventions is the priority for the nurse preceptor to perform? a) Tell the client that they are now safe, and no one will try to harm them anymore b) Remove the pen left by the newly hired nurse in the clients room c) Ask the client if they remember the nurse from the last admission d) Sit with the client and apologize that the new nurse left the room b) Remove the pen left by the newly hired nurse in the clients room The nurse is caring for a client diagnosed with schizoid personality disorder. The nurse understands it is important to a) Have a friendly and compassionate approach with the clint b) Protect the client against ridicule from others c) Provide opportunities for the client to receive peer approval d) Encourage the client to attend social groups for wellbeing b) Protect the client against ridicule from others The nurse is caring for a 32yr old client who is newly admitted with dependent personality disorder. Which information from the box below should the nurse expect with this disorder? 1. Aggressive attitude 2. Afraid to be separated 3. Likes to take care of others 4. Prefers others take care of finances 5. Psychotherapy is the treatment of choice a) 2,3,4 b) 1,2,4 c) 2,4,5 d) 3,4,5 a) 2,3,4 A nurse is attending a conference about schizoid personality disorder. Which of the following information indicates a correct understanding by the nurse? a) Clients have delusions b) Clients are entitled c) Clients are paranoid d) Clients are eccentric d) Clients are eccentric The nurse is caring for a female client; later in the day the nurse sees the client and calls them by their name. Client states you must be confused that's not my name, but I have a female name when I'm obviously a male. The nurse asks the client if they know who they are and the client gives a different name the nurse expects that the client is experiencing. Dissociative identity disorder