Senior Seminar - Module 3: Mental
Health Concepts Questions And
Answers 2022
A young adult client says to the nurse, "All my friends are married and have children.
I can't seem to meet anyone, and I know I'll never be happy until I meet someone I
can care about enough to marry." Which statement by the nurse would assist the
client in reframing the situation? - Correct Answer- D "You can't seem to meet
someone that you care about? You can still find enjoyment in friendships, work,
books, and other things as well."
Rationale: Focus on the subject, reframing. Recalling that reframing is a positive
response in which the client redefines the situation to view both its positive and
negative sides will direct you to the correct option. Review this coping behavior if you
had difficulty with this question.
A client who has been admitted to a surgical unit with a diagnosis of cancer is
scheduled for surgery in the morning. When the nurse enters the room and begins
the surgical preparation, the client states, "I'm not having surgery — you must have
the wrong person! My test results were negative. I'll be going home tomorrow." The
nurse recognizes that the client is engaging in the defense mechanism of: - Correct
Answer- A Denial
Rationale: Defense mechanisms protect us against anxiety. Denial is the defense
mechanism used to block out painful or anxiety-inducing events or feelings. In this
case, the client cannot deal with the upcoming cancer surgery and therefore denies
that he or she is ill. Psychosis and delusions are not defense mechanisms.
Displacement is acting out in anger or frustration with people who did not arouse the
feelings.
A client who delivered a baby 4 weeks ago says, "I'm feeling as if I'm hanging on by
a thread to keep my wits about me." Which statement by the nurse would be
therapeutic? - Correct Answer- C "Can you share with me more specifically how you
feel that you're hanging on by a thread? Are you having thoughts of hurting
yourself?"
Rationale: The correct option is therapeutic because the client is asked to clarify her
feelings.
A client says to the nurse at the mental health clinic, "My husband and sister-in-law
both have terminal illnesses, and my family thinks that because I'm a nurse I should
be able to handle everything." Which nursing response would be therapeutic? -
Correct Answer- D "You've seen your loved ones dealing with some troubling events
recently. Sounds as if you feel that your family expects more from you than from
others in the family because you're a nurse."
,Rationale: The therapeutic response is the one in which the nurse makes
observations and then clarifies his or her perception of what the client has said.
The wife of a client who is dying says to the nurse, "I am able to take off the 6
months from work our doctor feels that my husband will live, but what if he lives
beyond that time?" Which therapeutic response should the nurse make? - Correct
Answer- C "Are there other options for you in taking work leave? Perhaps you could
simply reduce your work hours at first so that you can extend your compassionate
leave."
Rationale: In end-of-life nursing care, the caregiver is often asked, "How long?" or
"What should I do?" by family members and the dying clients themselves. The nurse
can convey information and make limited but realistic predictions, such as presenting
the client's stable or deteriorating physiological condition. Discussing options and
alternative solutions with the family that can be added to the process of decision-
making can be helpful. Simple alternatives can be used as examples if the family or
client seems unable to begin to problem-solve.
A 56-year-old client says to the nurse, "I'm a guidance counselor at the middle
school, and the kids like to come to see me for help, but I just found out from my wife
that my 22-year-old daughter is a lesbian, and now I'm the one who needs advice.
How am I supposed to accept that? She was the boy we didn't have, and I made a
tomboy of her by taking her to baseball games with me. Is that why she's gay?"
Which statement by the nurse would be therapeutic? - Correct Answer- D "It sounds
like you and your daughter were very close but she kept her sexual orientation from
you."
Rationale: The therapeutic response is the one that reflects the client's thinking back
to the client and makes observations for the client to organize, reflect on, and
validate or discount. This will help place the information that the client's daughter is a
lesbian into perspective.
The parents of an adopted child schedule an appointment at a psychiatric clinic, and
when they arrive the nurse conducts an initial assessment. One of the parents says
to the nurse, "We need to speak to a psychiatrist about our adopted daughter. Could
you please get one for us?" Which of the following interventions by the nurse would
be therapeutic? - Correct Answer- D "The doctors here feel that clients are best
served when I conduct the initial assessment, after which the psychiatrist will see
you with complete information."
The therapeutic intervention is the one that explains the clinic's procedure to the
parents and moves on from there.
The wife of a victim of a gas explosion says, "It's not bad enough that I've been left
alone to care for two children — now the company is denying our claim for
compensation and we have to join a class action suit to get my husband's pension."
Which of the following statements by the nurse would be therapeutic? - Correct
Answer- C "You're saying that being left a widow with children is difficult enough, but
now you've got to fight for your benefits."
, Rationale: In the correct option, the nurse uses the therapeutic communication
technique of seeking clarification to facilitate the expression of feelings by the widow.
A nurse is evaluating the coping skills of a client with a diagnosis of depression.
Which statement indicates to the nurse the need to help the client learn and
appropriately use these skills? - Correct Answer- C "I won't ever be depressed
again."
Rationale: Depression may be a recurring illness for some people. The client needs
to understand the symptoms and recognize when or if treatment needs to be started
again.
A 12-year-old client who has been reported for drawing sexually explicit scenes in
her textbooks during class says to the psychiatric nurse, "I just felt like it." Which
response by the nurse would be therapeutic and aid assessment of abuse-related
symptoms? - Correct Answer- D "I am concerned about you. Are you being or have
you ever been abused?"
Rationale: The behavior that this child has engaged in is a signal of distress. The
correct option is the only option that specifically addresses abuse and demonstrates
the nurse's concern about the client.
A young adult client who is dying says to the nurse, "I keep asking my wife what I
can do for her and our daughter before I die, but she refuses to tell me." On the basis
of the client's statement, what is the appropriate nursing intervention? - Correct
Answer- C Talking with both the client and his wife about the importance of
expressing their feelings and how to do it in healthy ways
Rationale: The appropriate nursing intervention is to help the client and spouse
describe feelings that, left unspoken, might cause disruption and delay resolution.
A client says to the nurse, "My doctor wants me to start keeping a journal every day
about what's happening in my job." Which response by the nurse is appropriate? -
Correct Answer- D "Journal-keeping that identifies what seems to cause a strain in a
person's life is a good way of improving one's health."
Rationale: Journal-keeping can help the client identify situations that produce stress
A 45-year-old fireman says to the nurse, "I've worked at some fires recently that
were just devastating, but last week was the worst. I carried this little girl from a fire
— she was badly burned and lived just a few minutes after I brought her out, and she
said to me, 'Tell my mom and Rudy I love them both very much.' Her mom told me
that Rudy is their dog, and he just mopes around the house since the little girl died. I
keep thinking about her and just don't know if I can go on." Which response by the
nurse would be therapeutic? - Correct Answer- D "You're questioning your job
because you're upset about the little girl you tried to save. Work stress can be
treated and help you cope better. It is so important for you to seek treatment."
Rationale: The fireman may be experiencing work-related stress that, if untreated,
could evolve into posttraumatic stress disorder. In the correct option, the nurse offers
Health Concepts Questions And
Answers 2022
A young adult client says to the nurse, "All my friends are married and have children.
I can't seem to meet anyone, and I know I'll never be happy until I meet someone I
can care about enough to marry." Which statement by the nurse would assist the
client in reframing the situation? - Correct Answer- D "You can't seem to meet
someone that you care about? You can still find enjoyment in friendships, work,
books, and other things as well."
Rationale: Focus on the subject, reframing. Recalling that reframing is a positive
response in which the client redefines the situation to view both its positive and
negative sides will direct you to the correct option. Review this coping behavior if you
had difficulty with this question.
A client who has been admitted to a surgical unit with a diagnosis of cancer is
scheduled for surgery in the morning. When the nurse enters the room and begins
the surgical preparation, the client states, "I'm not having surgery — you must have
the wrong person! My test results were negative. I'll be going home tomorrow." The
nurse recognizes that the client is engaging in the defense mechanism of: - Correct
Answer- A Denial
Rationale: Defense mechanisms protect us against anxiety. Denial is the defense
mechanism used to block out painful or anxiety-inducing events or feelings. In this
case, the client cannot deal with the upcoming cancer surgery and therefore denies
that he or she is ill. Psychosis and delusions are not defense mechanisms.
Displacement is acting out in anger or frustration with people who did not arouse the
feelings.
A client who delivered a baby 4 weeks ago says, "I'm feeling as if I'm hanging on by
a thread to keep my wits about me." Which statement by the nurse would be
therapeutic? - Correct Answer- C "Can you share with me more specifically how you
feel that you're hanging on by a thread? Are you having thoughts of hurting
yourself?"
Rationale: The correct option is therapeutic because the client is asked to clarify her
feelings.
A client says to the nurse at the mental health clinic, "My husband and sister-in-law
both have terminal illnesses, and my family thinks that because I'm a nurse I should
be able to handle everything." Which nursing response would be therapeutic? -
Correct Answer- D "You've seen your loved ones dealing with some troubling events
recently. Sounds as if you feel that your family expects more from you than from
others in the family because you're a nurse."
,Rationale: The therapeutic response is the one in which the nurse makes
observations and then clarifies his or her perception of what the client has said.
The wife of a client who is dying says to the nurse, "I am able to take off the 6
months from work our doctor feels that my husband will live, but what if he lives
beyond that time?" Which therapeutic response should the nurse make? - Correct
Answer- C "Are there other options for you in taking work leave? Perhaps you could
simply reduce your work hours at first so that you can extend your compassionate
leave."
Rationale: In end-of-life nursing care, the caregiver is often asked, "How long?" or
"What should I do?" by family members and the dying clients themselves. The nurse
can convey information and make limited but realistic predictions, such as presenting
the client's stable or deteriorating physiological condition. Discussing options and
alternative solutions with the family that can be added to the process of decision-
making can be helpful. Simple alternatives can be used as examples if the family or
client seems unable to begin to problem-solve.
A 56-year-old client says to the nurse, "I'm a guidance counselor at the middle
school, and the kids like to come to see me for help, but I just found out from my wife
that my 22-year-old daughter is a lesbian, and now I'm the one who needs advice.
How am I supposed to accept that? She was the boy we didn't have, and I made a
tomboy of her by taking her to baseball games with me. Is that why she's gay?"
Which statement by the nurse would be therapeutic? - Correct Answer- D "It sounds
like you and your daughter were very close but she kept her sexual orientation from
you."
Rationale: The therapeutic response is the one that reflects the client's thinking back
to the client and makes observations for the client to organize, reflect on, and
validate or discount. This will help place the information that the client's daughter is a
lesbian into perspective.
The parents of an adopted child schedule an appointment at a psychiatric clinic, and
when they arrive the nurse conducts an initial assessment. One of the parents says
to the nurse, "We need to speak to a psychiatrist about our adopted daughter. Could
you please get one for us?" Which of the following interventions by the nurse would
be therapeutic? - Correct Answer- D "The doctors here feel that clients are best
served when I conduct the initial assessment, after which the psychiatrist will see
you with complete information."
The therapeutic intervention is the one that explains the clinic's procedure to the
parents and moves on from there.
The wife of a victim of a gas explosion says, "It's not bad enough that I've been left
alone to care for two children — now the company is denying our claim for
compensation and we have to join a class action suit to get my husband's pension."
Which of the following statements by the nurse would be therapeutic? - Correct
Answer- C "You're saying that being left a widow with children is difficult enough, but
now you've got to fight for your benefits."
, Rationale: In the correct option, the nurse uses the therapeutic communication
technique of seeking clarification to facilitate the expression of feelings by the widow.
A nurse is evaluating the coping skills of a client with a diagnosis of depression.
Which statement indicates to the nurse the need to help the client learn and
appropriately use these skills? - Correct Answer- C "I won't ever be depressed
again."
Rationale: Depression may be a recurring illness for some people. The client needs
to understand the symptoms and recognize when or if treatment needs to be started
again.
A 12-year-old client who has been reported for drawing sexually explicit scenes in
her textbooks during class says to the psychiatric nurse, "I just felt like it." Which
response by the nurse would be therapeutic and aid assessment of abuse-related
symptoms? - Correct Answer- D "I am concerned about you. Are you being or have
you ever been abused?"
Rationale: The behavior that this child has engaged in is a signal of distress. The
correct option is the only option that specifically addresses abuse and demonstrates
the nurse's concern about the client.
A young adult client who is dying says to the nurse, "I keep asking my wife what I
can do for her and our daughter before I die, but she refuses to tell me." On the basis
of the client's statement, what is the appropriate nursing intervention? - Correct
Answer- C Talking with both the client and his wife about the importance of
expressing their feelings and how to do it in healthy ways
Rationale: The appropriate nursing intervention is to help the client and spouse
describe feelings that, left unspoken, might cause disruption and delay resolution.
A client says to the nurse, "My doctor wants me to start keeping a journal every day
about what's happening in my job." Which response by the nurse is appropriate? -
Correct Answer- D "Journal-keeping that identifies what seems to cause a strain in a
person's life is a good way of improving one's health."
Rationale: Journal-keeping can help the client identify situations that produce stress
A 45-year-old fireman says to the nurse, "I've worked at some fires recently that
were just devastating, but last week was the worst. I carried this little girl from a fire
— she was badly burned and lived just a few minutes after I brought her out, and she
said to me, 'Tell my mom and Rudy I love them both very much.' Her mom told me
that Rudy is their dog, and he just mopes around the house since the little girl died. I
keep thinking about her and just don't know if I can go on." Which response by the
nurse would be therapeutic? - Correct Answer- D "You're questioning your job
because you're upset about the little girl you tried to save. Work stress can be
treated and help you cope better. It is so important for you to seek treatment."
Rationale: The fireman may be experiencing work-related stress that, if untreated,
could evolve into posttraumatic stress disorder. In the correct option, the nurse offers
