Videbeck Test Bank
A client grieving the recent loss of her husband asks if she is becoming mentally ill because she
is so sad. The nurse's best response would be,
A) You may have a temporary mental illness because you are experiencing so much pain.
B) You are not mentally ill. This is an expected reaction to the loss you have experienced.
C) Were you generally dissatisfied with your relationship before your husband's death?
D) Try not to worry about that right now. You never know what the future brings. - ANSWER-
Ans: B
Feedback: Mental illness includes general dissatisfaction with self, ineffective relationships,
ineffective coping, and lack of personal growth. Additionally the behavior must not be culturally
expected. Acute grief reactions are expected and therefore not considered mental illness. False
reassurance or overanalysis does not accurately address the client's concerns.
. The nurse consults the DSM for which of the following purposes?
A) To devise a plan of care for a newly admitted client
B) To predict the client's prognosis of treatment outcomes
C) To document the appropriate diagnostic code in the client's medical record
D) To serve as a guide for client assessment - ANSWER-Ans: D
Feedback: The DSM provides standard nomenclature, presents defining characteristics, and
identifies underlying causes of mental disorders. It does not provide care plans or prognostic
outcomes of treatment. Diagnosis of mental illness is not within the generalist RN's scope of
practice, so documenting the code in the medical record would be inappropriate.
. Which would be a reason for a student nurse to use the DSM?
A) Identifying the medical diagnosis
B) Treat clients
C) Evaluate treatments
D) Understand the reason for the admission and the nature of psychiatric illnesses - ANSWER-
Ans: D
, Feedback: Although student nurses do not use the DSM to diagnose clients, they will find it a
helpful resource to understand the reason for the admission and to begin building knowledge
about the nature of psychiatric illnesses. Identifying the medical diagnosis, treating, and
evaluating treatments are not a part of the nursing process.
.The legislation enacted in 1963 was largely responsible for which of the following shifts in care
for the mentally ill?
A) The widespread use of community-based services
B) The advancement in pharmacotherapies
C) Increased access to hospitalization
D) Improved rights for clients in long-term institutional care - ANSWER-Ans: A
Feedback: The Community Mental Health Centers Construction Act of 1963 accomplished the
release of individuals from long-term stays in state institutions, the decrease in admissions to
hospitals, and the development of community-based services as an alternative to hospital care
.Which one of the following is a result of federal legislation?A) Making it easier to commit
people for mental health treatment against their will.
B) Making it more difficult to commit people for mental health treatment against their will.
C) State mental institutions being the primary source of care for mentally ill persons.
D) Improved care for mentally ill persons. - ANSWER-Ans: B
Feedback: Commitment laws changed in the early 1970s, making it more difficult to commit
people for mental health treatment against their will. Deinstitutionalization accomplished the
release of individuals from long-term stays in state institutions. Deinstitutionalization also had
negative effects in that some mentally ill persons are subjected to the revolving door effect,
which may limit care for mentally ill persons.
The nurse is assessing the factors contributing to the well-being of a newly admitted client.
Which of the following would the nurse identify as having a positive impact on the individual's
mental health?
A) Not needing others for companionship
B) The ability to effectively manage stress
C) A family history of mental illness
D) Striving for total self-reliance - ANSWER-Ans: B