Mental health final exam questions with
correct answers
A 60 year old male client has been admitted to the psychiatric unit, with symptoms
ranging from fatigue, an inability to concentrate, an inability to complete everyday tasks,
to refusal to care for himself and preferring to sleep all day. One of the first interventions
should be aimed at:
a. Developing a good nurse care plan
b. Talking to his wife for cues to help him
c. Encouraging him to join activities on the unit
d. Developing a structured routine for him to follow - D.
Developing a structured routine for him to follow
In working with a depressed client, the nurse should understand that depression in most
directly related to a persons:
a. Experiencing poor interpersonal
relationships b. Remembering a traumatic
childhood
c. Having experienced a sense of
loss d. Stage in Life - C.
Having experienced a sense of loss
When encouraged to join an activity a depressed client on the psychiatric unit refuses
and says, "What's the use?" The approach by the nurse that would be most effective is
to:
a. Sit down bedside her and ask her how is she feeling
b. Tell her it is time for the activity help her out of the chair, and go with her to
the activity
c. Convince her how helpful it will be to engage in the activity
d. Tell her that is a self-defeating attitude and it will only make her feel worse - B. Tell
her it is time for the activity help her out of the chair, and go with her to the activity
A client makes a suicide attempt on the evening shift. The staff intervenes in the time to
prevent harm, In assessing the situation, the most important rationale for the staff to
discuss the incident is that:
a. They need to reenact the attempt so that they understand exactly what
happened b. The staff needs to file an incident report so that the hospital
administration is kept informed
c. The staff needs to discuss the client's behavior to determine what cues in his
behavior might have warned them that he was contemplating suicide
d. Because the client made one suicide attempt, there is high probability he will make
a second attempt in the immediate future - C.
The staff needs to discuss the client's behavior to determine what cues in his behavior
might have warned them that he was contemplating suicide
,A client has the diagnosis of a manic episode. Her disruptive behavior on the unit has
been increasingly annoying to the other clients. One intervention by the nurse might be
to:
a. Tell the client she is annoying others and confine her to her room
b. ignore the client's behavior, realizing it is consistent with her
illness c. Set limits on the client's behavior and be consistent in
approach
d. Make a rigid, structured plan that the client will have to follow - c. Set limits on
the client's behavior and be consistent in approach
Three days after admission for depression, a 54 year old female client approaches the
nurse and says "I know I have cancer of the uterus. Can't you let me stay in bed and
have some peace before I die?" In responding, the nurse must keep in mind that:
a. The client must be postmenopausal
b. Thoughts of disease are common in depressed clients
c. Clients suffering from depression can be demanding, making many requests of
the nurse
d. Antidepressant medications frequently cause vaginal spotting - b. Thoughts
of disease are common in depressed clients
When assessing a client for possible suicide, an important clue would be if the client:
a. Is hostile or sarcastic to the staff
b. Identifies with problems expressed by other clients
c. Seems satisfied and detached
d.Begins to talk about leaving the hospital - c. Seems satisfied and detached
A depressed client refuses to get out of bed, go to activities, or participate in any of the
unit's programs. The most appropriate nursing action is to:
A. Tell her that the rule of the unit is that no client can remain in bed
B.Suggest she better get out of bed or she will go hungry later
c. Offer to assist her out of bed and help her to dress
d.Allow her to remain in bed until she feels ready to join the other clients - c. Offer
to assist her out of bed and help her to dress
A client with the diagnosis of a manic episode is racing around the psychiatric unit trying
to organize games with the clients. An appropriate nursing intervention is to:
a. Have the client play ping-pong
b. Suggest video exercises with the other
clients c. Take the client outside for a walk
d. Do nothing, as organizing a game is considered therapeutic - c. Take the
client outside for a walk
A 45 year old female client has been in the hospital for 3 days with a diagnosis of
depression. During this time, she has not put on a clean dress, washed her hair, or
participated in any of the unit activities. On this day, the nurse observes that she is
wearing a clean dress and has combed her hair. The appropriate statement to the client
is:
a. Oh, I'm so pleased that you finally put on a clean dress
b. Something is different about you today. What is it?
c. That's good. You have on a clean dress and have combed your hair
d. I see that you have on a clean dress and have combed your hair - d. I see that you
have on a clean dress and have combed your hair
, When a depressed client becomes more active and there is evidence that her mood has
lifted, an appropriate goal to add to the nursing care plan is to:
a. Encourage her to go home for the weekend
b.Move her to a room with three other clients
c. Monitor her whereabouts at all times
d. Begin to explore the reasons she became depressed - C. Monitor her
whereabouts at all times
The nurse is assigned a client who is potentially suicidal. Of the following nursing
objectives, which one is the most important?
a. Observe the client closely at all times
b. Recognize a continued desire to commit suicide
c. Involve the client in activities with others to mobilize him
d. Provide a safe environment to protect the client - d. Provide a safe environment to
protect the client
Mood (affective) disorders/suicide -
A male client on the psychiatric unit becomes upset and breaks a chair when a visitor
does not show up. The first nursing intervention should be to:
a. Stay with the client during the stressful time
b.Ask direct questions about the client's
behavior c.Set limits and restrict the client's
behavior
d. Plan with the client for how he can better handle frustration - C.
Set limits and restrict the clients behavior
A client's deafness has been diagnosed as conversion disorder. Nursing interventions
should be guided by which one of the following?
a.The client will probably express much anxiety about her deafness and require much
reassurance
b.The client will have little or no awareness of the psychogenic cause of her deafness
c. The client's need for the symptom should be respected, thus, secondary gains should
be allowed
d.The defense mechanisms of suppression and rationalization are involved in creating
the symptom - b.The client will have little or no awareness of the psychogenic cause
of her deafness
A female client has just received the diagnosis of hypochondriasis. This client
continually focuses on gastrointestinal problems and constantly rings for the nurse to
meet her every demand. The best approach is to:
a. Ignore the demands because the nurse knows it is not necessary to respond
b. Assign various staff members to work with the client so no staff member will become
negative
c. Anticipate the client's demands and spend time with her even though she does
not demand it
d. Provide for the client's basic needs, but do not respond to her every demand,
which reinforces secondary gains - c. Anticipate the client's demands and spend
time with her even though she does not demand it
The nurse has been interviewing a client who has not been able to discuss any feelings.
This day, 5 minutes before the time is over, the client begins to talk about important
feelings. The intervention is to:
correct answers
A 60 year old male client has been admitted to the psychiatric unit, with symptoms
ranging from fatigue, an inability to concentrate, an inability to complete everyday tasks,
to refusal to care for himself and preferring to sleep all day. One of the first interventions
should be aimed at:
a. Developing a good nurse care plan
b. Talking to his wife for cues to help him
c. Encouraging him to join activities on the unit
d. Developing a structured routine for him to follow - D.
Developing a structured routine for him to follow
In working with a depressed client, the nurse should understand that depression in most
directly related to a persons:
a. Experiencing poor interpersonal
relationships b. Remembering a traumatic
childhood
c. Having experienced a sense of
loss d. Stage in Life - C.
Having experienced a sense of loss
When encouraged to join an activity a depressed client on the psychiatric unit refuses
and says, "What's the use?" The approach by the nurse that would be most effective is
to:
a. Sit down bedside her and ask her how is she feeling
b. Tell her it is time for the activity help her out of the chair, and go with her to
the activity
c. Convince her how helpful it will be to engage in the activity
d. Tell her that is a self-defeating attitude and it will only make her feel worse - B. Tell
her it is time for the activity help her out of the chair, and go with her to the activity
A client makes a suicide attempt on the evening shift. The staff intervenes in the time to
prevent harm, In assessing the situation, the most important rationale for the staff to
discuss the incident is that:
a. They need to reenact the attempt so that they understand exactly what
happened b. The staff needs to file an incident report so that the hospital
administration is kept informed
c. The staff needs to discuss the client's behavior to determine what cues in his
behavior might have warned them that he was contemplating suicide
d. Because the client made one suicide attempt, there is high probability he will make
a second attempt in the immediate future - C.
The staff needs to discuss the client's behavior to determine what cues in his behavior
might have warned them that he was contemplating suicide
,A client has the diagnosis of a manic episode. Her disruptive behavior on the unit has
been increasingly annoying to the other clients. One intervention by the nurse might be
to:
a. Tell the client she is annoying others and confine her to her room
b. ignore the client's behavior, realizing it is consistent with her
illness c. Set limits on the client's behavior and be consistent in
approach
d. Make a rigid, structured plan that the client will have to follow - c. Set limits on
the client's behavior and be consistent in approach
Three days after admission for depression, a 54 year old female client approaches the
nurse and says "I know I have cancer of the uterus. Can't you let me stay in bed and
have some peace before I die?" In responding, the nurse must keep in mind that:
a. The client must be postmenopausal
b. Thoughts of disease are common in depressed clients
c. Clients suffering from depression can be demanding, making many requests of
the nurse
d. Antidepressant medications frequently cause vaginal spotting - b. Thoughts
of disease are common in depressed clients
When assessing a client for possible suicide, an important clue would be if the client:
a. Is hostile or sarcastic to the staff
b. Identifies with problems expressed by other clients
c. Seems satisfied and detached
d.Begins to talk about leaving the hospital - c. Seems satisfied and detached
A depressed client refuses to get out of bed, go to activities, or participate in any of the
unit's programs. The most appropriate nursing action is to:
A. Tell her that the rule of the unit is that no client can remain in bed
B.Suggest she better get out of bed or she will go hungry later
c. Offer to assist her out of bed and help her to dress
d.Allow her to remain in bed until she feels ready to join the other clients - c. Offer
to assist her out of bed and help her to dress
A client with the diagnosis of a manic episode is racing around the psychiatric unit trying
to organize games with the clients. An appropriate nursing intervention is to:
a. Have the client play ping-pong
b. Suggest video exercises with the other
clients c. Take the client outside for a walk
d. Do nothing, as organizing a game is considered therapeutic - c. Take the
client outside for a walk
A 45 year old female client has been in the hospital for 3 days with a diagnosis of
depression. During this time, she has not put on a clean dress, washed her hair, or
participated in any of the unit activities. On this day, the nurse observes that she is
wearing a clean dress and has combed her hair. The appropriate statement to the client
is:
a. Oh, I'm so pleased that you finally put on a clean dress
b. Something is different about you today. What is it?
c. That's good. You have on a clean dress and have combed your hair
d. I see that you have on a clean dress and have combed your hair - d. I see that you
have on a clean dress and have combed your hair
, When a depressed client becomes more active and there is evidence that her mood has
lifted, an appropriate goal to add to the nursing care plan is to:
a. Encourage her to go home for the weekend
b.Move her to a room with three other clients
c. Monitor her whereabouts at all times
d. Begin to explore the reasons she became depressed - C. Monitor her
whereabouts at all times
The nurse is assigned a client who is potentially suicidal. Of the following nursing
objectives, which one is the most important?
a. Observe the client closely at all times
b. Recognize a continued desire to commit suicide
c. Involve the client in activities with others to mobilize him
d. Provide a safe environment to protect the client - d. Provide a safe environment to
protect the client
Mood (affective) disorders/suicide -
A male client on the psychiatric unit becomes upset and breaks a chair when a visitor
does not show up. The first nursing intervention should be to:
a. Stay with the client during the stressful time
b.Ask direct questions about the client's
behavior c.Set limits and restrict the client's
behavior
d. Plan with the client for how he can better handle frustration - C.
Set limits and restrict the clients behavior
A client's deafness has been diagnosed as conversion disorder. Nursing interventions
should be guided by which one of the following?
a.The client will probably express much anxiety about her deafness and require much
reassurance
b.The client will have little or no awareness of the psychogenic cause of her deafness
c. The client's need for the symptom should be respected, thus, secondary gains should
be allowed
d.The defense mechanisms of suppression and rationalization are involved in creating
the symptom - b.The client will have little or no awareness of the psychogenic cause
of her deafness
A female client has just received the diagnosis of hypochondriasis. This client
continually focuses on gastrointestinal problems and constantly rings for the nurse to
meet her every demand. The best approach is to:
a. Ignore the demands because the nurse knows it is not necessary to respond
b. Assign various staff members to work with the client so no staff member will become
negative
c. Anticipate the client's demands and spend time with her even though she does
not demand it
d. Provide for the client's basic needs, but do not respond to her every demand,
which reinforces secondary gains - c. Anticipate the client's demands and spend
time with her even though she does not demand it
The nurse has been interviewing a client who has not been able to discuss any feelings.
This day, 5 minutes before the time is over, the client begins to talk about important
feelings. The intervention is to:
