N129 - HESI PSYCH/MENTAL HEALTH EXAM
N129 - HESI PSYCH/MENTAL HEALTH EXAM NEWEST 2025/2026 WITH
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS |ALREADY GRADED
A+||BRAND NEW VERSION!
A young adult female visits the mental health clinic complaining of diarrhea,
headache, and muscle aches. She is afebrile, denies chills, and all laboratory
findings are within normal limits. During the physical assessment, the client tells
the RN that her sister thinks she is neurotic and calls her a hypochondriac. Which
response is best for the RN to provide?
A. "Unless your sister has a medical education, ignore her comments."
B. "I can hear that your sister's comments are overwhelming you."
C. "Do you think it's possible that you might be a hypochondriac?"
D. "Besides your sister's comments, what in life is troubling you?" - ANSWER-D.
"Besides your sister's comments, what in life is troubling you?"
The RN is leading a group on the inpatient psychiatric unit. Which approach
should the RN use during the working phase of group development?
A. Establishing a rapport with group members
B. Helping clients identify areas of problem in their lives
C. Discussing ways to use new coping skills learned
D. Clarifying the nurse's role and clients' responsibilities - ANSWER-B. Helping
clients identify areas of problem in their lives
A male client with schizophrenia is demonstrating echolalia, which is becoming
annoying to other clients on the unit. What intervention is best for the RN to
implement?
1|Page
, N129 - HESI PSYCH/MENTAL HEALTH EXAM
A. Isolate the client from other clients
B. Administer PRN sedative
C. Avoid recognizing the behavior
D. Escort the client to his room - ANSWER-D. Escort the client to his room
A client is admitted for bipolar disorder and alcohol withdrawal, depressive phase.
Based on which assessment finding will the RN withhold the clonidine (Catapres)
prescription?
A. Pulse rate 68-78 bpm
B. BP readings of 90/62 mmHg to 92/58
C. Temperature of 99.5-99.7 F
D. Respiration rate of 24 bpm - ANSWER-B. BP readings of 90/62 mmHg to 92/58
The RN on the evening shift receives report that a client is scheduled for
Electroconvulsive Therapy in the morning. Which intervention should the RN
implement the evening before the scheduled ECT?
A. Keep client NPO after midnight
B. Hold all bedtime meds
C. Implement elopement precautions
D. Give the client an enema at bedtime - ANSWER-A. Keep client NPO after
midnight
A client with bulimia and depression who is taking phenelzine (Nardil) 90 mg daily
is admitted to an acute care hospital for uncontrolled hypertension. What dietary
choices should the RN instruct the client to avoid?
2|Page
, N129 - HESI PSYCH/MENTAL HEALTH EXAM
A. Pan-seared catfish
B. Deep fried shrimp
C. Pepperoni pizza
D. Beef trips with gravy - ANSWER-C. Pepperoni pizza
A client with depression remains in bed most of the day, declines activities and
refuses meals. Which nursing problem has the greatest priority for this client?
A. Loss of interest in diversional activity
B. Social isolation
C. Refusal to address nutritional needs
D. Low self-esteem - ANSWER-C. Refusal to address nutritional needs
A female client requests that her husband be allowed to stay in the room during
the admission assessment. While interviewing the client, the nurse nots a
discrepancy between the client's verbal and nonverbal communication. What
action should the nurse take?
A. Pay close attention and document the nonverbal messages
B. Ask the client's husband to interpret the discrepancy
C. Ignore the nonverbal behavior and focus on the client's verbal messages
D. Integrate the verbal and nonverbal messages and interpret them as one -
ANSWER-A. Pay close attention and document the nonverbal messages
A male client approaches the nurse with an angry expression on his face and
raises his voice saying, "My roommate is the most selfish, self-centered, angry
person I have ever met. If he loses his temper one more time with me, I am going
3|Page
, N129 - HESI PSYCH/MENTAL HEALTH EXAM
to punch him out!" The nurse recognizes that the client is using which defense
mechanism?
A. Denial
B. Projection
C. Rationalization
D. Splitting - ANSWER-B. Projection
During an annual physical by the occupational nurse working in a corporate clinic,
a male employee tells the nurse that his high-stress job is causing trouble in his
personal life. He further explains that he often gets so angry while driving to and
from work that he has considered "getting even" with other drivers, how should
the nurse respond?
A. "Anger is contagious and could result in major confrontation"
B. "Try not to let your anger cause you to act impulsively"
C. "Expressing your anger to a stranger could result in an unsafe situation"
D. "It sounds as if there are many situations that make you feel angry" - ANSWER-
D. "It sounds as if there are many situations that make you feel angry"
A client who has agoraphobia (a fear of crowds) is beginning desensitization with
the therapist, and the nurse is reinforcing the process. Which intervention has the
highest priority for this client's plan of care?
A. Encourage substitution of positive thoughts for negative ones
B. Establish trust by providing a calm, safe environment
C. Progressively expose the client to larger crowds
D. Encourage deep breathing when anxiety escalates in a crowd - ANSWER-B.
Establish trust by providing a calm, safe environment
4|Page
N129 - HESI PSYCH/MENTAL HEALTH EXAM NEWEST 2025/2026 WITH
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS |ALREADY GRADED
A+||BRAND NEW VERSION!
A young adult female visits the mental health clinic complaining of diarrhea,
headache, and muscle aches. She is afebrile, denies chills, and all laboratory
findings are within normal limits. During the physical assessment, the client tells
the RN that her sister thinks she is neurotic and calls her a hypochondriac. Which
response is best for the RN to provide?
A. "Unless your sister has a medical education, ignore her comments."
B. "I can hear that your sister's comments are overwhelming you."
C. "Do you think it's possible that you might be a hypochondriac?"
D. "Besides your sister's comments, what in life is troubling you?" - ANSWER-D.
"Besides your sister's comments, what in life is troubling you?"
The RN is leading a group on the inpatient psychiatric unit. Which approach
should the RN use during the working phase of group development?
A. Establishing a rapport with group members
B. Helping clients identify areas of problem in their lives
C. Discussing ways to use new coping skills learned
D. Clarifying the nurse's role and clients' responsibilities - ANSWER-B. Helping
clients identify areas of problem in their lives
A male client with schizophrenia is demonstrating echolalia, which is becoming
annoying to other clients on the unit. What intervention is best for the RN to
implement?
1|Page
, N129 - HESI PSYCH/MENTAL HEALTH EXAM
A. Isolate the client from other clients
B. Administer PRN sedative
C. Avoid recognizing the behavior
D. Escort the client to his room - ANSWER-D. Escort the client to his room
A client is admitted for bipolar disorder and alcohol withdrawal, depressive phase.
Based on which assessment finding will the RN withhold the clonidine (Catapres)
prescription?
A. Pulse rate 68-78 bpm
B. BP readings of 90/62 mmHg to 92/58
C. Temperature of 99.5-99.7 F
D. Respiration rate of 24 bpm - ANSWER-B. BP readings of 90/62 mmHg to 92/58
The RN on the evening shift receives report that a client is scheduled for
Electroconvulsive Therapy in the morning. Which intervention should the RN
implement the evening before the scheduled ECT?
A. Keep client NPO after midnight
B. Hold all bedtime meds
C. Implement elopement precautions
D. Give the client an enema at bedtime - ANSWER-A. Keep client NPO after
midnight
A client with bulimia and depression who is taking phenelzine (Nardil) 90 mg daily
is admitted to an acute care hospital for uncontrolled hypertension. What dietary
choices should the RN instruct the client to avoid?
2|Page
, N129 - HESI PSYCH/MENTAL HEALTH EXAM
A. Pan-seared catfish
B. Deep fried shrimp
C. Pepperoni pizza
D. Beef trips with gravy - ANSWER-C. Pepperoni pizza
A client with depression remains in bed most of the day, declines activities and
refuses meals. Which nursing problem has the greatest priority for this client?
A. Loss of interest in diversional activity
B. Social isolation
C. Refusal to address nutritional needs
D. Low self-esteem - ANSWER-C. Refusal to address nutritional needs
A female client requests that her husband be allowed to stay in the room during
the admission assessment. While interviewing the client, the nurse nots a
discrepancy between the client's verbal and nonverbal communication. What
action should the nurse take?
A. Pay close attention and document the nonverbal messages
B. Ask the client's husband to interpret the discrepancy
C. Ignore the nonverbal behavior and focus on the client's verbal messages
D. Integrate the verbal and nonverbal messages and interpret them as one -
ANSWER-A. Pay close attention and document the nonverbal messages
A male client approaches the nurse with an angry expression on his face and
raises his voice saying, "My roommate is the most selfish, self-centered, angry
person I have ever met. If he loses his temper one more time with me, I am going
3|Page
, N129 - HESI PSYCH/MENTAL HEALTH EXAM
to punch him out!" The nurse recognizes that the client is using which defense
mechanism?
A. Denial
B. Projection
C. Rationalization
D. Splitting - ANSWER-B. Projection
During an annual physical by the occupational nurse working in a corporate clinic,
a male employee tells the nurse that his high-stress job is causing trouble in his
personal life. He further explains that he often gets so angry while driving to and
from work that he has considered "getting even" with other drivers, how should
the nurse respond?
A. "Anger is contagious and could result in major confrontation"
B. "Try not to let your anger cause you to act impulsively"
C. "Expressing your anger to a stranger could result in an unsafe situation"
D. "It sounds as if there are many situations that make you feel angry" - ANSWER-
D. "It sounds as if there are many situations that make you feel angry"
A client who has agoraphobia (a fear of crowds) is beginning desensitization with
the therapist, and the nurse is reinforcing the process. Which intervention has the
highest priority for this client's plan of care?
A. Encourage substitution of positive thoughts for negative ones
B. Establish trust by providing a calm, safe environment
C. Progressively expose the client to larger crowds
D. Encourage deep breathing when anxiety escalates in a crowd - ANSWER-B.
Establish trust by providing a calm, safe environment
4|Page
