Mental Health Practice Exam Questions
And Verified Answers 100% 2024.
The nurse is conducting discharge teaching for a client with schizophrenia who plans to live in a group
home. Which statement is most indicative of the need for careful follow-up after discharge?
a. Crickets are a good source of protein.
b. I have not heard any voices for a week.
c. Only my belief in God can help me.
d. Sometimes I have a hard time sitting still - Answer *C. Only my belief in God can help me.*
The most frequent cause of increased symptoms in psychotic clients is non-compliance with the
medication regimen. If clients believe that "God alone" is going to heal them (C) then they may
discontinue their medication, so (C) would pose the greatest threat to this client's prognosis. (A) would
require further teaching, but is not as significant a statement as (C). (B) indicates an improvement in the
client's condition. (D) may be a sign of anxiety that could improve with tx, but does not have the priority
of (C).
A child is brought to the ER with a broken arm. Because of other injuries, the nurse suspects the child
may be a victim of abuse. When the nurse tries to give the child an injection, the child's mother becomes
very loud and shouts, "I won't leave my son! Don't you touch him! You'll hurt my child!" What is the best
interpretation of the mother's statements? The mother is
a. regressing to an earlier behavior pattern.
b. sublimating her anger.
c. projecting her feelings onto the nurse.
d. suppressing her fear. - Answer *C. projecting her feelings onto the nurse.*
Projection is attributing one's own thoughts, impulses, or behaviors onto another--it is the mother who
is probably harming the child and she is attributing her actions to the nurse (C). The mother may be
immature, but (A) is not the best description of her behavior. (B) is substituting a socially acceptable
feeling for an unacceptable one. These are not socially acceptable feelings. The mother may be
,suppressing her fear (D) by displaying anger, but such an interpretation cannot be concluded from the
data presented.
An elderly female client with advanced dementia is admitted to the hospital with a fractured hip. The
client repeatedly tells the staff, "Take me home. I want my Mommy." Which response is best for the
nurse to provide?
a. Orient the client to the time, place, and person.
b. Tell the client that the nurse is there and will help her.
c. Remind the client that her mother is no longer living.
d. Explain the seriousness of her injury and need for hospitalization. - Answer *B. Tell the client that
the nurse is there and will help her.*
Those with dementia often refer to home or parents when seeking security and comfort. The nurse
should use the techniques of "offering self" and "talking to the feelings" to provide reassurance (B).
Clients with advanced dementia have permanent physiological changes in the brain (plaques and
tangles) that prevent them from comprehending and retaining new information, so (A, C, and D) are
likely to be of little use to this client and do not help the clients emotional needs.
A 27 y/o F client is admitted to the psychiatric hospital with a dx of bipolar disorder, manic phase. She is
demanding and active. Which intervention should the nurse include in this client's plan of care?
a. Schedule her to attend various group activities.
b. Reinforce her ability to make her own decisions.
c. Encourage her to identify feelings of anger.
d. Provide a structured environment with little stimuli. - Answer *D. Provide a structured environment
with little stimuli.*
Clients in the manic phase of bipolar disorder require decreased stimuli and a structured environment
(D). Plan noncompetitive activities that can be carried out alone. (A) is contraindicated; stimuli should be
reduced as much as possible. Impulsive decision-making is characteristic of clients with bipolar disorder.
To prevent future complications, the nurse should monitor these clients' decisions and assist them in
decision-making process (B). (C) is more often associated with depression than with bipolar disorder.
,An adult male client who was admitted to the mental hospital unit yesterday tells the nurse that
microchips were planted in his head for military surveillance of his every move. Which response is best
for the nurse to provide?
a. You are in the hospital, and I am the nurse caring for you.
b. It must be difficult for you to control your anxious feelings.
c. Go to occupational therapy and start a project.
d. You are not in a war area now; this is the United States. - Answer * C. Go to occupational therapy
and start a project.*
Delusions often generate fear and isolation, so the nurse should help the client participate in activities
that avoid focusing on the false belief and encourage interaction with others (C). Delusions are often
well-fixed, and though (A) reinforces reality, it is argumentative and dismisses the clients fears. It is often
difficult for the client to recognize the relationship between delusions and anxiety (B), and the nurse
should reassure the client that he is in a safe place. Dismissing delusional thinking (D) is unrealistic
because neurochemical imbalances that cause positive symptoms of schizophrenia require antipsychotic
drug therapy.
A 38 y/o F client is admitted with a dx of paranoid schizophrenia. When her tray is brought to her, she
refuses to eat and tells the nurse, "I know you're trying to poison me with that food." Which response is
most appropriate for the nurse to make?
a. I'll leave your tray here. I am available if you need anything else.
b. You're not being poisoned. Why do you think someone is trying to poison you?
c. No one on this unit has ever died from poisoning. You're safe here.
d. I will talk to your HCP about the possibility of changing your diet. - Answer *A. I'll leave your tray
here. I am available if you need anything else.*
(A) is the best choice cited. The nurse doesn't argue with the client nor demand that she eat, but offers
support by agreeing to "be there if needed", e.g., to warm the food. (B and C) are arguing with the
client's delusions, and (B) asks "why" which is usually not a good question for a psychotic client. (D) has
nothing to do with the actual problem; i.e., the problem is not the diet (she thinks any food given to her
is poisoned).
, A homeless person who is in the manic phase of bipolar disorder is admitted to the mental health unit.
Which lab finding obtained on admission is most important for the nurse to report to the HCP?
a. Decreased TSH level.
b. Elevated liver function profile.
c. Increased WBC count.
d. Decreased Hct and Hgb levels. - Answer *A. Decreased TSH level.*
Hyperthyroidism causes an increased level of serum thyroid hormones (T3 and T4), which inhibits the
release of TSH (A), so the client's manic behavior may be related to an endocrine disorder. (B, C, and D)
are abnormal findings that are commonly found in the homeless population because of poor sanitation,
poor nutrition, and the prevalence of substance abuse
The nurse is planning discharge teaching for a male client with schizophrenia. The client insists that he is
returning to his apartment, although the HCP informed him that he will be moving to a boarding home.
What is the most important nursing dx for discharge planning?
a. Ineffective denial r/t situational anxiety.
b. Ineffective coping r/t inadequate support.
c. Social isolation r/t difficult interactions.
d. Self-care deficit r/t cognitive impairment. - Answer *A. Ineffective denial r/t situational anxiety.*
The best nursing dx is (A) because the client is unable to acknowledge the move to a boarding home. (B,
C, and D) are potential nursing diagnoses, but denial is most important because it is a defense
mechanism that keeps the client from dealing with his feelings about living arrangements.
A client who has been admitted to the psychiatric unit tells the nurse, "My problems are so bad that no
one can help me." Which response is best for the nurse to make?
a. How can I help?
b. Things probably aren't as bad as they seem right now.
c. Let's talk about what is right with your life.
And Verified Answers 100% 2024.
The nurse is conducting discharge teaching for a client with schizophrenia who plans to live in a group
home. Which statement is most indicative of the need for careful follow-up after discharge?
a. Crickets are a good source of protein.
b. I have not heard any voices for a week.
c. Only my belief in God can help me.
d. Sometimes I have a hard time sitting still - Answer *C. Only my belief in God can help me.*
The most frequent cause of increased symptoms in psychotic clients is non-compliance with the
medication regimen. If clients believe that "God alone" is going to heal them (C) then they may
discontinue their medication, so (C) would pose the greatest threat to this client's prognosis. (A) would
require further teaching, but is not as significant a statement as (C). (B) indicates an improvement in the
client's condition. (D) may be a sign of anxiety that could improve with tx, but does not have the priority
of (C).
A child is brought to the ER with a broken arm. Because of other injuries, the nurse suspects the child
may be a victim of abuse. When the nurse tries to give the child an injection, the child's mother becomes
very loud and shouts, "I won't leave my son! Don't you touch him! You'll hurt my child!" What is the best
interpretation of the mother's statements? The mother is
a. regressing to an earlier behavior pattern.
b. sublimating her anger.
c. projecting her feelings onto the nurse.
d. suppressing her fear. - Answer *C. projecting her feelings onto the nurse.*
Projection is attributing one's own thoughts, impulses, or behaviors onto another--it is the mother who
is probably harming the child and she is attributing her actions to the nurse (C). The mother may be
immature, but (A) is not the best description of her behavior. (B) is substituting a socially acceptable
feeling for an unacceptable one. These are not socially acceptable feelings. The mother may be
,suppressing her fear (D) by displaying anger, but such an interpretation cannot be concluded from the
data presented.
An elderly female client with advanced dementia is admitted to the hospital with a fractured hip. The
client repeatedly tells the staff, "Take me home. I want my Mommy." Which response is best for the
nurse to provide?
a. Orient the client to the time, place, and person.
b. Tell the client that the nurse is there and will help her.
c. Remind the client that her mother is no longer living.
d. Explain the seriousness of her injury and need for hospitalization. - Answer *B. Tell the client that
the nurse is there and will help her.*
Those with dementia often refer to home or parents when seeking security and comfort. The nurse
should use the techniques of "offering self" and "talking to the feelings" to provide reassurance (B).
Clients with advanced dementia have permanent physiological changes in the brain (plaques and
tangles) that prevent them from comprehending and retaining new information, so (A, C, and D) are
likely to be of little use to this client and do not help the clients emotional needs.
A 27 y/o F client is admitted to the psychiatric hospital with a dx of bipolar disorder, manic phase. She is
demanding and active. Which intervention should the nurse include in this client's plan of care?
a. Schedule her to attend various group activities.
b. Reinforce her ability to make her own decisions.
c. Encourage her to identify feelings of anger.
d. Provide a structured environment with little stimuli. - Answer *D. Provide a structured environment
with little stimuli.*
Clients in the manic phase of bipolar disorder require decreased stimuli and a structured environment
(D). Plan noncompetitive activities that can be carried out alone. (A) is contraindicated; stimuli should be
reduced as much as possible. Impulsive decision-making is characteristic of clients with bipolar disorder.
To prevent future complications, the nurse should monitor these clients' decisions and assist them in
decision-making process (B). (C) is more often associated with depression than with bipolar disorder.
,An adult male client who was admitted to the mental hospital unit yesterday tells the nurse that
microchips were planted in his head for military surveillance of his every move. Which response is best
for the nurse to provide?
a. You are in the hospital, and I am the nurse caring for you.
b. It must be difficult for you to control your anxious feelings.
c. Go to occupational therapy and start a project.
d. You are not in a war area now; this is the United States. - Answer * C. Go to occupational therapy
and start a project.*
Delusions often generate fear and isolation, so the nurse should help the client participate in activities
that avoid focusing on the false belief and encourage interaction with others (C). Delusions are often
well-fixed, and though (A) reinforces reality, it is argumentative and dismisses the clients fears. It is often
difficult for the client to recognize the relationship between delusions and anxiety (B), and the nurse
should reassure the client that he is in a safe place. Dismissing delusional thinking (D) is unrealistic
because neurochemical imbalances that cause positive symptoms of schizophrenia require antipsychotic
drug therapy.
A 38 y/o F client is admitted with a dx of paranoid schizophrenia. When her tray is brought to her, she
refuses to eat and tells the nurse, "I know you're trying to poison me with that food." Which response is
most appropriate for the nurse to make?
a. I'll leave your tray here. I am available if you need anything else.
b. You're not being poisoned. Why do you think someone is trying to poison you?
c. No one on this unit has ever died from poisoning. You're safe here.
d. I will talk to your HCP about the possibility of changing your diet. - Answer *A. I'll leave your tray
here. I am available if you need anything else.*
(A) is the best choice cited. The nurse doesn't argue with the client nor demand that she eat, but offers
support by agreeing to "be there if needed", e.g., to warm the food. (B and C) are arguing with the
client's delusions, and (B) asks "why" which is usually not a good question for a psychotic client. (D) has
nothing to do with the actual problem; i.e., the problem is not the diet (she thinks any food given to her
is poisoned).
, A homeless person who is in the manic phase of bipolar disorder is admitted to the mental health unit.
Which lab finding obtained on admission is most important for the nurse to report to the HCP?
a. Decreased TSH level.
b. Elevated liver function profile.
c. Increased WBC count.
d. Decreased Hct and Hgb levels. - Answer *A. Decreased TSH level.*
Hyperthyroidism causes an increased level of serum thyroid hormones (T3 and T4), which inhibits the
release of TSH (A), so the client's manic behavior may be related to an endocrine disorder. (B, C, and D)
are abnormal findings that are commonly found in the homeless population because of poor sanitation,
poor nutrition, and the prevalence of substance abuse
The nurse is planning discharge teaching for a male client with schizophrenia. The client insists that he is
returning to his apartment, although the HCP informed him that he will be moving to a boarding home.
What is the most important nursing dx for discharge planning?
a. Ineffective denial r/t situational anxiety.
b. Ineffective coping r/t inadequate support.
c. Social isolation r/t difficult interactions.
d. Self-care deficit r/t cognitive impairment. - Answer *A. Ineffective denial r/t situational anxiety.*
The best nursing dx is (A) because the client is unable to acknowledge the move to a boarding home. (B,
C, and D) are potential nursing diagnoses, but denial is most important because it is a defense
mechanism that keeps the client from dealing with his feelings about living arrangements.
A client who has been admitted to the psychiatric unit tells the nurse, "My problems are so bad that no
one can help me." Which response is best for the nurse to make?
a. How can I help?
b. Things probably aren't as bad as they seem right now.
c. Let's talk about what is right with your life.
