Personality Disorder Practice Questions and
Answers
A patient diagnosed with borderline personality disorder often exhibits alternating clinging
and distancing behaviors with staff. A therapeutic nursing intervention with this type of
behavior would be to:
a. Encourage patient to establish trust in one person, with whom all therapeutic
interactions take place.
b. Secure a verbal contract indicating that the patient will not demonstrate these behaviors.
c. Withdraw attention from the patient if these behaviors continue.
d. Rotate staff that that the patient will learn to relate to more than one person. - -*d.*
Rotate staff that that the patient will learn to relate to more than one person.
-Which of the following are examples of manipulative behaviors in the patient diagnosed
with borderline personality disorder? *Select all that apply.*
a. Refusal to stay in room alone, stating, "It is so lonely."
b. Asking the nurse for Ativan, knowing the assigned nurse has explained the need to wait 1
hour for additional medication.
c. Stating to the nurse, "I really like having you for my nurse. You're the best one around
here."
d. Cutting arms with a plastic knife after discussing discharge plans with the psychiatrist. -
-*b.* Asking the nurse for Ativan, knowing the assigned nurse has explained the need to
wait 1 hour for additional medication
*c.* Stating to the nurse, "I really like having you for my nurse. You're the best one around
here."
*d.* Cutting arms with a plastic knife after discussing discharge plans with the psychiatrist.
-Splitting by the patient with borderline personality disorder indicates:
a. Evidence of precocious behavior.
b. A primitive defense in which the patient sees objects as all good or all bad.
c. A brief psychotic episode in which the patient loses contact with reality.
d. Two distinct personalities within the patient with borderline personality disorder. - -*b.*
A primitive defense in which the patient sees objects as all good or all bad.
-Which of the following characteristics would you expect to assess in a patient with
antisocial personality disorder?
a. Insight into one's behavior.
b. Lack of guilt for wrongdoing.
Answers
A patient diagnosed with borderline personality disorder often exhibits alternating clinging
and distancing behaviors with staff. A therapeutic nursing intervention with this type of
behavior would be to:
a. Encourage patient to establish trust in one person, with whom all therapeutic
interactions take place.
b. Secure a verbal contract indicating that the patient will not demonstrate these behaviors.
c. Withdraw attention from the patient if these behaviors continue.
d. Rotate staff that that the patient will learn to relate to more than one person. - -*d.*
Rotate staff that that the patient will learn to relate to more than one person.
-Which of the following are examples of manipulative behaviors in the patient diagnosed
with borderline personality disorder? *Select all that apply.*
a. Refusal to stay in room alone, stating, "It is so lonely."
b. Asking the nurse for Ativan, knowing the assigned nurse has explained the need to wait 1
hour for additional medication.
c. Stating to the nurse, "I really like having you for my nurse. You're the best one around
here."
d. Cutting arms with a plastic knife after discussing discharge plans with the psychiatrist. -
-*b.* Asking the nurse for Ativan, knowing the assigned nurse has explained the need to
wait 1 hour for additional medication
*c.* Stating to the nurse, "I really like having you for my nurse. You're the best one around
here."
*d.* Cutting arms with a plastic knife after discussing discharge plans with the psychiatrist.
-Splitting by the patient with borderline personality disorder indicates:
a. Evidence of precocious behavior.
b. A primitive defense in which the patient sees objects as all good or all bad.
c. A brief psychotic episode in which the patient loses contact with reality.
d. Two distinct personalities within the patient with borderline personality disorder. - -*b.*
A primitive defense in which the patient sees objects as all good or all bad.
-Which of the following characteristics would you expect to assess in a patient with
antisocial personality disorder?
a. Insight into one's behavior.
b. Lack of guilt for wrongdoing.
