NRNP-6640-9,Psychotherapy QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

B. Using communication techniques that are expressive The PMHNP is caring for a patient with dissociated self-state that the PMHNP identifies as being associated with traumatic experiences in the patient’s past. What approach does the PMHNP use with the patient that is crucial to the psychodynamic therapy process? Selected Answer: A. Assisting the patient to experience and accept the various dimensions of the self through enhanced awareness of the traumatic states A PMHNP is caring for a 21-year-old woman who is suffering from anxiety and is having difficulty managing stress. Which of the following would be an appropriate step by the PMHNP? Selected Answer: D. All of the above One of the strategies the PMHNP wants to try includes sleep restriction. What will the PMHNP suggest to follow sleep restriction therapy? Selected Answer: B. “Restrict the amount of time you spend in bed.” The PMHNP is working with a patient who is living in poverty and abusing substances. According to the treatment hierarchy framework, what needs does the PMHNP need to attend to first? Selected Answer: A. Provide safety through case management strategies The PMHNP is meeting with a 42-year-old man with depression brought on by the recent passing of his wife. As he describes the circumstances surrounding his late wife’s death, the PMHNP begins to feel sad. The sadness lingers for several hours, and the PMHNP finds it difficult to focus on other patients for the rest of the day. What is the most appropriate explanation for the reaction that the PMHNP is experiencing? Selected Answer: C. Concordant identification After informing a prospective patient about limits of confidentiality, the patient consents to the “conditions” of confidentiality and signs an informed consent form. Several weeks later, a lawyer representing the patient’s spouse for a court case, asks the PMHNP for the disclosure of information about the patient. The PMHNP should: Selected Answer: C. Limit disclosure to the extent legally possible An 11-year-old patient has been exhibiting low self-esteem at school and acting out. According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, which of the following questions would best be addressed first by the PMHNP? Selected Answer: C. “Is Joel getting enough sleep at home?” Your patient is a 65-year-old male who has a strained relationship with his son and daughter. His children refuse to participate in a family session. The PMHNP asks the patient to draw his family genogram as a next step to . Selected Answer: C. provide background information for the patient’s family structure During a therapy session the patient is asked how she currently deals with stress, and she says, “Well, I don’t. I just let it build and build.” The PMHNP responds by asking how well this has been working out for her. The patient states, “Well, to be honest, it just feels like I’m drowning, you know what I mean.” Illustrating idiosyncratic meaning, the PMHNP responds with: Selected Answer: B. “No, I am not sure what you are saying. Can you please explain?” The patient attempts the PMHNP’s sleep hygiene recommendations for 2 weeks, but does not make any progress mitigating nightmares and hyperarousal. Which behavioral strategy does the PMHNP suggest next? Selected Answer: D. All of the above A PMHNP has been working with a young female patient who suffers from depression to change self-defeating behaviors. By creating a presence of acceptance and using good listening skills, the PMHNP’s overall goal is to . Selected Answer: A. deepen the patient’s understanding of herself in order to cultivate empowerment You are seeing a 29-year-old widow whose husband recently died overseas while serving his country in the military. She has been mourning the loss of her husband for several months, and continues to grieve. She refuses to go to group grieving sessions, but reports that she is still able to go to work and her fitness classes sometimes, and even makes attempts to stay social. She says, “Sometimes it’s like he’s not even gone. Other times it feels like it’s been an eternity since I’ve seen him. It’s hard to talk about this type of stuff with my girlfriends, especially since all of their husbands are still alive.” The PMHNP understands that it is appropriate to employ which therapeutic principle? Selected Answer: A. Encouraging catharsis The PMHNP is treating a patient with a substantial fear of feeling closed in (claustrophobia). Thus, the patient will not get into an elevator. The office where he works is on the 10th floor and this requires that he walk up and down the stairs in the morning and evening to get to his office. With permission from the patient, the PMHNP is beginning systematic desensitization to address the patient’s need to use the elevator. What is the PMHNP’s best plan of action? Selected Answer: A. Begin by having the patient stand in front of the elevator and write down his feelings During a therapy session with an 18-year-old female the PMHNP learns that she has lived in six different foster homes in the last 24 months. She states that her mother is in a correctional facility for drug abuse and prostitution. During the assessment, the PMHNP notices multiple superficial cuts to each wrist. The patient appears tearful, withdrawn, and never makes direct eye contact. The PMHNP believes that this patient may have feelings of insecurities as well as abandonment issues and is aware that which diagnosis is likely possible? Selected Answer: C. Borderline personality disorder The PMHNP is working with a 56-year-old man who is being seen because of his anxiety and depression. During the therapy sessions, the PMHNP assists the patient in discussing his experiences and expanding on his thoughts and feelings. He tells the PMHNP stories about how he used to be teased by his coworkers at the office for becoming too anxious in large conference rooms. The PMHNP listens to the patient and helps focus on his strengths to promote self-understanding. Which principle best accounts for the PMHNP’s interactions with the patient? Selected Answer: A. Therapeutic communication A 28-year-old male patient is experiencing distress related to the workplace. What might the PMHNP ask to assess affective development? Selected Answer: D. All of the above. The PMHNP is meeting with a 38-year-old divorced, single mother who has been seeing the PMHNP for anxiety and anger management. During one of the sessions, the patient tells the PMHNP that she is having a problem getting her child support payments from her ex-husband, which is triggering increased anxiety and anger, which she admittedly takes out on her children. How does the PMHNP respond in a way that upholds the supportive psychodynamic psychotherapy approach? Selected Answer: B. Suggesting that she seek legal help A middle-aged man who works over 50 hours a week is being seen for depression and anger management. He states, “I am even more frustrated when I come home and my wife wants to argue about stupid stuff. All I want to do is come home, take a shower, and eat. Is that too much to ask?” The PMHNP explains that people can be assertive, aggressive, and passive. She encourages the patient to be more assertive and begins role-play with assertive training. The PMHNP determines that the patient is beginning to understand when he states: Selected Answer: D. “I feel frustrated when I come home and we argue.” During a session, the PMHNP asks a patient with a history of sexual abuse to recall the relationship she had as a child with her parents. The patient responds by saying she has a headache and her stomach hurts, and starts talking about her physical ailments. What is the appropriate response by the PMHNP? Selected Answer: A. Assure the patient that she does not have to discuss these memories A patient who has borderline personality disorder is meeting with the PMHNP. When asked about future goals, the patient responds, “I’d like to go back to school to do what you do. You know, talk to people all day about their problems. It seems pretty easy.” How does the PHMNP respond to the client in a way that is free from any stigmatizing beliefs or judgments? Selected Answer: C. “You may want to explore the requirements for becoming a PMNHP.” The PMHNP is working with a patient who experiences abreactions when discussing repressed feelings of his sexual abuse as a child. What can the PMHNP do to manage the patient’s intense emotional reactions? Selected Answer: C. Suggest a relaxation technique, such as yoga or meditation The PMHNP is caring for a patient who the PMHNP believes would benefit from a relational psychodynamic approach to therapy. Which action made by the PMHNP demonstrates appropriate use and understanding of the relationship psychodynamic model? Selected Answer: C. Focusing the exploration on here and now A new patient has been informed of the limits of confidentiality, and has signed informed consent forms. No consent, however, has been obtained for voluntary “Release of Information.” The patient is 20 years old and still lives at home with his parents. He is being treated for depression, which he attributes to the trouble he’s had finding employment. True or false: If the patient’s mother calls the PMHNP to check up on her son to see how he is doing, the therapist is required to protect patient confidentiality and not disclose information. Selected Answer: Tru e