Psychiatric Technician State Board Exam Guide | SBVC | Study Resources & Outline

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SBVC Psychiatric Technician State Board Exam | 250
Verified Questions & Answers (2025 Edition)
The most effective nursing strategy to prevent infection would be
to ......ANSWER........wash hands before and after any direct
client contact

The highest achievable total score in the Apgar scoring system
for newborn babies is ......ANSWER........10

The physician needs to know the oral temperature of a client. The
client recently smoked a cigarette. The psychiatric technician
would wait how many minutes before taking the client's oral
temperature? ......ANSWER........15 minutes

The physician now needs a pedal pulse from the same client. The
psychiatric technician knows this pulse site is being used
......ANSWER........to determine circulation to the foot

The psychiatric technician is assigned to administer medication for
the A.M. shift. On Mrs. Smith's medication administration record it
states that one medication is to be given "p.c." The psychiatric
technician would administer this medication
......ANSWER........after meals

The client is to be given Demerol and Vistaril IM. The psychiatric
technician would inject the needle at what angle?
......ANSWER........90 degrees

A diagnosis of hypertension would not be made unless the client
has abnormally high blood pressure for at least two consecutive
visits at the physician's office. The criteria that is used to

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determine hypertension is ......ANSWER........over 140 mm Hg
systolic and/or 90 mm Hg diastolic

A client is having her blood pressure taken by the psychiatric
technician. The client asks what does blood pressure represent.
The best response the psychiatric technician would give is
......ANSWER........"It is a measure of the pressure exerted by the
blood as it pulsates through the arteries"

A client is suffering from osteoporosis - a condition that causes
bones to become porous and less dense. This results in increased
susceptibility to fracture and collapse. The physician would order
an increased amount of which foods to help treat this condition?
......ANSWER........Liver, milk, egg yolks

The bed position in which the client's head and trunk are raised
45 degrees to 90 degrees is referred to as
......ANSWER........fowler's position

The prodromal signs/symptoms of AIDS (acquired immune
deficiency syndrome) are ......ANSWER........fatigue, night sweats,
intermittent fever, severe diarrhea

A client complains of a lesion on his penis. The physician
examines it and sees that it is reddish in color. The client states
that it is painless and that he has been sexually promiscuous.
......ANSWER........syphilis

A client is experiencing abnormal breathing which involves very
deep to very shallow respirations with temporary apnea. This
type of irregular breathing pattern is referred to as
......ANSWER........Cheyne-Stroke's

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Debbie Lawson is a seven years old. Her mother brings her to the
family physician because Debbie has a rash on her body and is
running a slight fever. The diagnosis is chickenpox. This childhood
disease is caused by what virus? ......ANSWER........Herpesvirus

The most common cause of accidental deaths for children that are
one year old or less is ......ANSWER........Choking

The psychiatric technician is preparing to give the client a bed
bath. The temperature of the water should be between
......ANSWER........110-115 F

The client would be bathed in what order? ......ANSWER........Face,
arms, hand, chest and abdomen, legs and feet, back and
perineum

The appropriate toothbrushing technique for clients would consist
of ......ANSWER........using tepid water, a soft toothbrush and
brushing at a 45 degree angle

The client has been complaining that she is having difficulty
sleeping the past few months. The physician has prescribed a low
dose of a sedative-hypnotic for a temporary period of time.
Client teaching to promote a regular sleep pattern would include
......ANSWER........get adequate exercise during the day and
established a regular bedtime

Carol Stevens was brought into the emergency room. She was
restless and complained of being thirsty. The nurse took her vital
signs and discovered that Carol had a pulse of 140 and pale
looking and when she touched her hands they were cold and

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clammy. The most probably medical condition Carol is suffering
from is ......ANSWER........shock

Mrs. Clark has been a diabetic for ten years. She has been
admitted to the hospital for another possible medical problem.
Her doctor prescribes regular insulin for her. The injection was
given at 07:00. If Mrs. Clark has a reaction it will most likely be
......ANSWER........before lunch

Mrs. Clark would receive her injection of insulin how many
minutes before meals? ......ANSWER........30

When the psychiatric technician is ready to administer the insulin
he/she would remember to ......ANSWER........inject the syringe at
a 45 or 90 degree angle

A diabetic coma means there is too little insulin or too much
sugar. It is usually caused by excessive eating, infection or illness
or skipping an insulin injection. The symptoms of a diabetic coma
are ......ANSWER........Flushed, dry skin, fruity odor breath,
vomiting

When a diabetic person has an insulin reaction the emergency
treatment would consist of ......ANSWER........drinking fruit juice

Areas of the body that the diabetic person needs to pay close
attention to are the ......ANSWER........feet, legs, eyes

The normal blood sugar range is ......ANSWER........80-120