Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Certification Exam (2025) comprehensive questions and
verified answers ( detailed & elaborated) 2025-2026 TEST
In working with the family, the nurse finds that
the child is waking many times during the night
and climbing into the parents' bed. Which of the
following would the nurse probably NOT use as
an intervention in this situation?
a. Suggesting that one of the parents sleep in
the child's room so everyone can get a good
night's sleep
b. Encouraging the parents to work together to
set limits on the child's sleeping in their bed
c. Asking the parents to talk together about
how they will handle the situation when the
child wakes up in the night
d. Encouraging each member of the family to
talk about his/her feelings in the matter
a. Suggesting that one of the parents sleep in the child's room so everyone can get a
good night's sleep
The nurse suggests that if the child cannot sleep,
that he play a cassette tape on his recorder
and try to listen to as many cassettes as he can,
making sure that he gets out of bed, so that he
does not fall asleep in the process. This intervention
is known as:
a. Homework
b. Paradoxical prescription
c. Sculpting
d. Triangling
b. Paradoxical prescription
,The nurse also asks the parents to keep a record
of the number of nights the child stays in his
own room and to reward him with a treat if he
can do it three nights in a row. This intervention
is known as:
a. Homework
b. Paradoxical prescription
c. Sculpting
d. Triangling
a. Homework
A family with extremely rigid boundaries will
probably NOT have:
a. Positive links to society
b. Clear boundaries
c. Strong parental coalition
d. Efficient negotiation and task performance
a. Positive links to society
Members of a therapeutic community decide
at a community meeting that it is not right for
two extremely demanding clients to determine
the activities for the entire group. This decision
can best be classified under which ethical
perspective?
a. Egoism
b. Utilitarianism
c. Deontology
d. Formalism
b. Utilitarianism
According to traditional definitions of mental
health, which of the following would the nurse
be most likely to describe as mentally healthy?
,a. Jerry Jones, a Vietnam veteran with no
family ties, who has been unemployed for 10
years
b. Tom Sarris, a CEO, who spends 14 hours at
work each day and is too tired to do anything
with his family on weekends
c. George Connors, a shoe salesman who
delights in playing affectionately with his
children but has been unable to hold a
steady job since they were born
d. Sam Thomas, a restaurateur who loves his
work, but sets limits on the hours he spends
there in order to enjoy his family and friends
d. Sam Thomas, a restaurateur who loves his
work, but sets limits on the hours he spends
there in order to enjoy his family and friends
Which of the following would be described as
a component of mental health according to
Johnson?
a. Refusing to be involved in any relationship
that limits independence
b. Absence of anxiety under any circumstances
c. Dependence on friends and family to assist
with crises
d. Ignoring cues from the environment when
deciding what to do
c. Dependence on friends and family to assist
with crises
In helping a client change, the nurse should:
a. Encourage the client to move rapidly to
avoid delay
b. Realize that the problems the client is facing
, will make him or her eager to change
c. Encourage feelings of hope
d. Understand that change is a natural process
that never involves anxiety and fear
c. Encourage feelings of hope
In facilitating change the nurse should:
a. Avoid deliberate goal-directed activity since
this will inhibit the process
b. Restrict clients to few choices to avoid overwhelming
them
c. Give up if resistance is encountered
d. Form a helping relationship and collaborate
with clients
d. Form a helping relationship and collaborate
with clients
John Korman is a 36-year-old male recently admitted to a psychiatric unit. The
nurse taking his history observes that his speech is slurred, and he states that
he cannot remember where
he has been for the past 12 hours, but the police who brought him in stated
that he was arrested driving the wrong way on a one-way street. Which of the
following items on the mental status exam would the nurse NOT mark
"impaired"?
a. Behavior
b. Judgment
c. Memory
d. Affect
d. Affect
Which of the following is NOT necessary for the
nurse to make a spiritual assessment?
a. Assure that the client has a religious
affiliation.
b. Determine if client believes in a higher
verified answers ( detailed & elaborated) 2025-2026 TEST
In working with the family, the nurse finds that
the child is waking many times during the night
and climbing into the parents' bed. Which of the
following would the nurse probably NOT use as
an intervention in this situation?
a. Suggesting that one of the parents sleep in
the child's room so everyone can get a good
night's sleep
b. Encouraging the parents to work together to
set limits on the child's sleeping in their bed
c. Asking the parents to talk together about
how they will handle the situation when the
child wakes up in the night
d. Encouraging each member of the family to
talk about his/her feelings in the matter
a. Suggesting that one of the parents sleep in the child's room so everyone can get a
good night's sleep
The nurse suggests that if the child cannot sleep,
that he play a cassette tape on his recorder
and try to listen to as many cassettes as he can,
making sure that he gets out of bed, so that he
does not fall asleep in the process. This intervention
is known as:
a. Homework
b. Paradoxical prescription
c. Sculpting
d. Triangling
b. Paradoxical prescription
,The nurse also asks the parents to keep a record
of the number of nights the child stays in his
own room and to reward him with a treat if he
can do it three nights in a row. This intervention
is known as:
a. Homework
b. Paradoxical prescription
c. Sculpting
d. Triangling
a. Homework
A family with extremely rigid boundaries will
probably NOT have:
a. Positive links to society
b. Clear boundaries
c. Strong parental coalition
d. Efficient negotiation and task performance
a. Positive links to society
Members of a therapeutic community decide
at a community meeting that it is not right for
two extremely demanding clients to determine
the activities for the entire group. This decision
can best be classified under which ethical
perspective?
a. Egoism
b. Utilitarianism
c. Deontology
d. Formalism
b. Utilitarianism
According to traditional definitions of mental
health, which of the following would the nurse
be most likely to describe as mentally healthy?
,a. Jerry Jones, a Vietnam veteran with no
family ties, who has been unemployed for 10
years
b. Tom Sarris, a CEO, who spends 14 hours at
work each day and is too tired to do anything
with his family on weekends
c. George Connors, a shoe salesman who
delights in playing affectionately with his
children but has been unable to hold a
steady job since they were born
d. Sam Thomas, a restaurateur who loves his
work, but sets limits on the hours he spends
there in order to enjoy his family and friends
d. Sam Thomas, a restaurateur who loves his
work, but sets limits on the hours he spends
there in order to enjoy his family and friends
Which of the following would be described as
a component of mental health according to
Johnson?
a. Refusing to be involved in any relationship
that limits independence
b. Absence of anxiety under any circumstances
c. Dependence on friends and family to assist
with crises
d. Ignoring cues from the environment when
deciding what to do
c. Dependence on friends and family to assist
with crises
In helping a client change, the nurse should:
a. Encourage the client to move rapidly to
avoid delay
b. Realize that the problems the client is facing
, will make him or her eager to change
c. Encourage feelings of hope
d. Understand that change is a natural process
that never involves anxiety and fear
c. Encourage feelings of hope
In facilitating change the nurse should:
a. Avoid deliberate goal-directed activity since
this will inhibit the process
b. Restrict clients to few choices to avoid overwhelming
them
c. Give up if resistance is encountered
d. Form a helping relationship and collaborate
with clients
d. Form a helping relationship and collaborate
with clients
John Korman is a 36-year-old male recently admitted to a psychiatric unit. The
nurse taking his history observes that his speech is slurred, and he states that
he cannot remember where
he has been for the past 12 hours, but the police who brought him in stated
that he was arrested driving the wrong way on a one-way street. Which of the
following items on the mental status exam would the nurse NOT mark
"impaired"?
a. Behavior
b. Judgment
c. Memory
d. Affect
d. Affect
Which of the following is NOT necessary for the
nurse to make a spiritual assessment?
a. Assure that the client has a religious
affiliation.
b. Determine if client believes in a higher
