NUR 253 Mental Health Nursing Practice Exams
1-4 | Actual study Questions and Answers with
Rationales | 2026/27 Updates | 100% correct |
Galen College of Nursing
EXAM 1 – Foundations of Mental Health Nursing
1. A nurse is communicating with a client experiencing anxiety. Which therapeutic response is most
appropriate?
A. “You should calm down immediately.”
B. “Tell me more about what you are feeling.”
C. “There is nothing to worry about.”
D. “Other patients feel worse than you.”
Correct Answer:
B. “Tell me more about what you are feeling.”
Expert Rationale:
Open-ended therapeutic communication encourages expression of feelings and builds trust.
2. Which defense mechanism involves refusing to acknowledge reality?
A. Projection
B. Rationalization
C. Denial
D. Regression
Correct Answer:
C. Denial
Expert Rationale:
Denial occurs when a person refuses to accept painful facts or reality.
3. A client with panic disorder is hyperventilating. What is the nurse’s priority action?
A. Leave the client alone.
B. Encourage rapid breathing.
,C. Stay with the client and speak calmly.
D. Provide detailed teaching immediately.
Correct Answer:
C. Stay with the client and speak calmly.
Expert Rationale:
Remaining calm and present helps decrease panic and promotes safety.
4. Which finding is commonly associated with generalized anxiety disorder?
A. Hallucinations
B. Excessive uncontrollable worry
C. Grandiosity
D. Flat affect only
Correct Answer:
B. Excessive uncontrollable worry
Expert Rationale:
Generalized anxiety disorder involves persistent excessive anxiety and worry.
5. A nurse is assessing suicide risk. Which statement requires immediate intervention?
A. “I feel tired lately.”
B. “Sometimes I feel hopeless.”
C. “I have a plan to kill myself tonight.”
D. “I do not enjoy hobbies anymore.”
Correct Answer:
C. “I have a plan to kill myself tonight.”
Expert Rationale:
A specific suicide plan indicates high suicide risk and requires immediate action.
6. Which therapeutic communication technique is being used when the nurse says, “Go on”?
A. Confrontation
B. Reflection
C. General leads
D. Interpretation
, Correct Answer:
C. General leads
Expert Rationale:
General leads encourage the client to continue sharing.
7. A client states, “The government placed cameras in my room.” This statement is an example of:
A. Illusion
B. Hallucination
C. Delusion
D. Compulsion
Correct Answer:
C. Delusion
Expert Rationale:
A delusion is a fixed false belief inconsistent with reality.
8. Which intervention is best for a client experiencing severe anxiety?
A. Give complex instructions.
B. Use short simple statements.
C. Encourage group discussions.
D. Challenge irrational thoughts immediately.
Correct Answer:
B. Use short simple statements.
Expert Rationale:
Clients with severe anxiety have difficulty processing information.
9. Which neurotransmitter is commonly linked to depression?
A. Dopamine only
B. Serotonin
C. Histamine
D. Acetylcholine only
Correct Answer:
B. Serotonin
1-4 | Actual study Questions and Answers with
Rationales | 2026/27 Updates | 100% correct |
Galen College of Nursing
EXAM 1 – Foundations of Mental Health Nursing
1. A nurse is communicating with a client experiencing anxiety. Which therapeutic response is most
appropriate?
A. “You should calm down immediately.”
B. “Tell me more about what you are feeling.”
C. “There is nothing to worry about.”
D. “Other patients feel worse than you.”
Correct Answer:
B. “Tell me more about what you are feeling.”
Expert Rationale:
Open-ended therapeutic communication encourages expression of feelings and builds trust.
2. Which defense mechanism involves refusing to acknowledge reality?
A. Projection
B. Rationalization
C. Denial
D. Regression
Correct Answer:
C. Denial
Expert Rationale:
Denial occurs when a person refuses to accept painful facts or reality.
3. A client with panic disorder is hyperventilating. What is the nurse’s priority action?
A. Leave the client alone.
B. Encourage rapid breathing.
,C. Stay with the client and speak calmly.
D. Provide detailed teaching immediately.
Correct Answer:
C. Stay with the client and speak calmly.
Expert Rationale:
Remaining calm and present helps decrease panic and promotes safety.
4. Which finding is commonly associated with generalized anxiety disorder?
A. Hallucinations
B. Excessive uncontrollable worry
C. Grandiosity
D. Flat affect only
Correct Answer:
B. Excessive uncontrollable worry
Expert Rationale:
Generalized anxiety disorder involves persistent excessive anxiety and worry.
5. A nurse is assessing suicide risk. Which statement requires immediate intervention?
A. “I feel tired lately.”
B. “Sometimes I feel hopeless.”
C. “I have a plan to kill myself tonight.”
D. “I do not enjoy hobbies anymore.”
Correct Answer:
C. “I have a plan to kill myself tonight.”
Expert Rationale:
A specific suicide plan indicates high suicide risk and requires immediate action.
6. Which therapeutic communication technique is being used when the nurse says, “Go on”?
A. Confrontation
B. Reflection
C. General leads
D. Interpretation
, Correct Answer:
C. General leads
Expert Rationale:
General leads encourage the client to continue sharing.
7. A client states, “The government placed cameras in my room.” This statement is an example of:
A. Illusion
B. Hallucination
C. Delusion
D. Compulsion
Correct Answer:
C. Delusion
Expert Rationale:
A delusion is a fixed false belief inconsistent with reality.
8. Which intervention is best for a client experiencing severe anxiety?
A. Give complex instructions.
B. Use short simple statements.
C. Encourage group discussions.
D. Challenge irrational thoughts immediately.
Correct Answer:
B. Use short simple statements.
Expert Rationale:
Clients with severe anxiety have difficulty processing information.
9. Which neurotransmitter is commonly linked to depression?
A. Dopamine only
B. Serotonin
C. Histamine
D. Acetylcholine only
Correct Answer:
B. Serotonin
