NRSG 126 Mental Health Nursing
Exam 1
Blueprint and Preparation information will cover content from Unit A: basic concepts of Mental Health
Nursing which includes but is not limited to: Overview of Mental Health, Spirituality, Legal and Ethical,
Core concepts, theories and psychopharmacology, ethical principles, Legal issues, and Communication
techniques and Nurse-Client Relationship .
General Blueprint of the Exam
There are approximately (the term approximate is used as some questions bridge multiple units) 45
questions:
19 Questions content area:
Overview Mental Health (includes living continuum of mental health and mental illness, concept
of resiliency (adaptation and accommodation, coping mechanisms, importance of support
systems), classification of mental disorders (DSM 5), and Nursing process in care of individual
from the various cultures, spirituality and religion. This also includes biological basis of
understanding of psychopharmacology.
7 Questions content area:
Legal and Ethical (core concepts as they relate to mental – health nursing – ethics, bioethics,
morals, values and rights.).
9 Questions content area:
Communication (therapeutic and non-therapeutic communication techniques, non-verbal and
verbal communication)
10 Questions content area:
therapeutic relationships and clinical interview
5 Math questions
Things to review:
Chp 2
concepts of mental health and illness
o myths & misconceptions
o continuum of mental health and mental illness
happiness: finds life enjoyable & optimistic vs. loss of interest or pleasure,
hopeless
control over behavior: ability to recognize cues & act appropriately vs.
aggressive/violent behaviors
appraisal of reality: sees environment accurately, understand consequences vs.
inaccurate perceptions, hallucinations, delusions
effectiveness in work: performs within abilities, recovery from failures vs.
deterioration in work performance, inability to maintain employment
health self-concept: reasonable self-confidence, resourcefulness vs. lacks self-
confidence, inability to be independent
satisfying relationships: stable/strong relationships, variety of social supports vs.
unstable relationships, lack of support
, effective coping strategies: ability to problem solve & cope in ways not harmful
vs. poor coping that creates further dysfunction
o resiliency is ability to recover from/adjust successfully to trauma or change
able to recognize feelings, deal with them, and learn form experience
prevalence and epidemiology of mental disorders
o prevalence rate is proportion of population with mental disorders at a given time
1 in 5 adults will experience 1+ mental health conditions in a year
Under developed countries have higher rates
o Schizophrenia: prevalence in a year is 1.1%, 3.5 mil affected, epidemiology is affects men
and women equally but earlier in men
o Affective mood disorders (major depression, dysthymic disorder, bipolar): 9.5%, 30 mil,
women affected 2x as much and often with anxiety & substance abuse
o Major depressive disorder: 6.7%, 21.1 mil, leading cause of disability in US & 2x as many
women
o Bipolar affective disorder: 2.6%, 8.2 mil, affects men & women equally
o Anxiety disorders (panic, OCD, PTSD, general anxiety, phobias): 18.1%, 57 mil, frequently
with depressive disorders, eating disorders, substance abuse
Panic disorder: 2.7%, 8.5 mil, develops in adolescence or early adulthood & 1
and 3 develop agoraphobia
OCD: 1%, 3.2 mil, begins in childhood or adolescence
PTSD: 3.5%, 11 mil, develops immediately or overtime, & common in veterans or
after 9/11
Generalized anxiety disorder: 3.1% , 9.8 mil, risk highest between childhood and
middle age
Social phobia: 6.8%, 21.4 mil, begins in childhood or adolescence
Agoraphobia: 0.8%, 2.5 mil
Specific phobia: 8.7%, 27.4 mil
o Any substance abuse: 9.4%, 24.6 mil
o Alcohol dependence: 6.3%, 16.5 mil
o Suicidal thoughts: 3.8%, 8.7 mil
Stigma
o Negative stereotype that leads to attitude or belief that would cause one to view person
with mental illness as inferior, dangerous, or unstable
o Contributes to fear, rejection, discrimination
Chp 3
development of personalities – Erikson’s
infancy (birth to 1.5 years)
o trust vs. mistrust: egocentric
o danger: during second half of first year abrupt or separation may intensify sense of loss
and lead to mistrust throughout life
o task: develop basic sense of trust that leads to hope
o trust requires feeling of physical comfort and minimal experience of fear or uncertainty
early childhood (1.5-3 years)
Exam 1
Blueprint and Preparation information will cover content from Unit A: basic concepts of Mental Health
Nursing which includes but is not limited to: Overview of Mental Health, Spirituality, Legal and Ethical,
Core concepts, theories and psychopharmacology, ethical principles, Legal issues, and Communication
techniques and Nurse-Client Relationship .
General Blueprint of the Exam
There are approximately (the term approximate is used as some questions bridge multiple units) 45
questions:
19 Questions content area:
Overview Mental Health (includes living continuum of mental health and mental illness, concept
of resiliency (adaptation and accommodation, coping mechanisms, importance of support
systems), classification of mental disorders (DSM 5), and Nursing process in care of individual
from the various cultures, spirituality and religion. This also includes biological basis of
understanding of psychopharmacology.
7 Questions content area:
Legal and Ethical (core concepts as they relate to mental – health nursing – ethics, bioethics,
morals, values and rights.).
9 Questions content area:
Communication (therapeutic and non-therapeutic communication techniques, non-verbal and
verbal communication)
10 Questions content area:
therapeutic relationships and clinical interview
5 Math questions
Things to review:
Chp 2
concepts of mental health and illness
o myths & misconceptions
o continuum of mental health and mental illness
happiness: finds life enjoyable & optimistic vs. loss of interest or pleasure,
hopeless
control over behavior: ability to recognize cues & act appropriately vs.
aggressive/violent behaviors
appraisal of reality: sees environment accurately, understand consequences vs.
inaccurate perceptions, hallucinations, delusions
effectiveness in work: performs within abilities, recovery from failures vs.
deterioration in work performance, inability to maintain employment
health self-concept: reasonable self-confidence, resourcefulness vs. lacks self-
confidence, inability to be independent
satisfying relationships: stable/strong relationships, variety of social supports vs.
unstable relationships, lack of support
, effective coping strategies: ability to problem solve & cope in ways not harmful
vs. poor coping that creates further dysfunction
o resiliency is ability to recover from/adjust successfully to trauma or change
able to recognize feelings, deal with them, and learn form experience
prevalence and epidemiology of mental disorders
o prevalence rate is proportion of population with mental disorders at a given time
1 in 5 adults will experience 1+ mental health conditions in a year
Under developed countries have higher rates
o Schizophrenia: prevalence in a year is 1.1%, 3.5 mil affected, epidemiology is affects men
and women equally but earlier in men
o Affective mood disorders (major depression, dysthymic disorder, bipolar): 9.5%, 30 mil,
women affected 2x as much and often with anxiety & substance abuse
o Major depressive disorder: 6.7%, 21.1 mil, leading cause of disability in US & 2x as many
women
o Bipolar affective disorder: 2.6%, 8.2 mil, affects men & women equally
o Anxiety disorders (panic, OCD, PTSD, general anxiety, phobias): 18.1%, 57 mil, frequently
with depressive disorders, eating disorders, substance abuse
Panic disorder: 2.7%, 8.5 mil, develops in adolescence or early adulthood & 1
and 3 develop agoraphobia
OCD: 1%, 3.2 mil, begins in childhood or adolescence
PTSD: 3.5%, 11 mil, develops immediately or overtime, & common in veterans or
after 9/11
Generalized anxiety disorder: 3.1% , 9.8 mil, risk highest between childhood and
middle age
Social phobia: 6.8%, 21.4 mil, begins in childhood or adolescence
Agoraphobia: 0.8%, 2.5 mil
Specific phobia: 8.7%, 27.4 mil
o Any substance abuse: 9.4%, 24.6 mil
o Alcohol dependence: 6.3%, 16.5 mil
o Suicidal thoughts: 3.8%, 8.7 mil
Stigma
o Negative stereotype that leads to attitude or belief that would cause one to view person
with mental illness as inferior, dangerous, or unstable
o Contributes to fear, rejection, discrimination
Chp 3
development of personalities – Erikson’s
infancy (birth to 1.5 years)
o trust vs. mistrust: egocentric
o danger: during second half of first year abrupt or separation may intensify sense of loss
and lead to mistrust throughout life
o task: develop basic sense of trust that leads to hope
o trust requires feeling of physical comfort and minimal experience of fear or uncertainty
early childhood (1.5-3 years)
