WGU D345 Psychopharmacology Section 1 Assess
Mental Health Status 2026 EXAM ACTUAL LATEST
VERSIONS 65 QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
VERIFIED ANSWERS WITH RATIONALES (100%
CORRECT) A+ GRADED ASSURED
1. How often must a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) renew board
certification? - CORRECT ANSWER: Every 5 years
A 16-year-old male patient presents with complaints of feeling depressed for nearly a month. He
self-rates his depression as severe. He has had suicidal thoughts on occasion but says he would
never act on them. He has been tired and unmotivated and cannot get up in the morning to attend
school. The patient is not sleeping well and is tired of his parents complaining about his low
grades. He has missed many school days and thinks everyone will be looking at him and talking
about him if he returns to school. The patient feels overwhelmed but is not motivated to make
any changes to his situation. The patient's psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP)
has decided to prescribe medication. Which medication should be the first choice? - CORRECT
ANSWER: Fluoxetine. Fluoxetine is FDA-approved for a patient this age with depression.
A new patient, 54 years of age, is scheduled to see the PMHNP. His medications are reconciled
by the nursing assistant and consist of Gabapentin and Fluoxetine (Prozac). Which medication
has a risk of withdrawal and should be tapered slowly? - CORRECT ANSWER: 1. Gabapentin.
Gabapentin requires a taper because of a short half-life of 5-7 hours. Patients can experience
withdrawal effects, both physically and psychologically, with abrupt discontinuation.
A nurse practitioner (NP) diagnoses a Chinese American patient with bipolar disorder, most
recent episode mixed. The NP wants to initiate carbamazepine (Tegretol) to treat this disorder.
Which step(s) should the NP take prior to prescribing this medication? - CORRECT ANSWER:
Draw for complete blood count (CBC), liver, kidney, thyroid function, and HLA-B*1502.
Baseline blood count—along with liver, thyroid, and kidney tests—are all recommended prior to
the initiation of carbamazepine. Additionally, the patient identifies as being of Asian descent;
having HLA-B*1502 drawn is important because individuals with this allele should not be
initiated on this medication.
, A nurse practitioner (NP) is seeing an adolescent patient experiencing their first psychotic
episode. The patient's mother requests that the patient be started on haloperidol (Haldol) because
she recalls her brother and father doing well on this medication. The NP wants to start the patient
on aripiprazole (Abilify). What is the difference in how these medications work? - CORRECT
ANSWER: Aripiprazole is a partial dopamine and serotonin agonist. Haloperidol is a dopamine 2
receptor blocker. Aripiprazole is an antipsychotic; it has a mechanism of action associated with
partial agonism leading to its antidepressant and antipsychotic effects.
A nurse practitioner (NP) is treating a newly diagnosed patient for attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD), inattentive type, with the stimulant lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse). The patient
tells the NP that they are traveling out of state for three days and want the new medication to be
ordered there instead. The NP has a license to practice only in their current state. What should
this NP do? - CORRECT ANSWER: Order the lisdexamfetamine in state via the electronic
prescribing tool so the patient can start the medication upon return. The NP can order the
stimulant via the electronic prescribing tool embedded in the electronic health record (EHR)
transfer or by script to an in-state pharmacy only where the NP has a license to practice. The
patient can start the medication after returning from the trip.
A nurse practitioner (NP) is working in a neuropsychiatric clinic that manages patients who have
treatment-resistant depression with esketamine (Spravato) nasal spray. A patient is presenting
today for a third dosing. What should this NP do prior to dosing? - CORRECT ANSWER:
Assess blood pressure. Assessing blood pressure (BP) prior to every dosing is necessary because
esketamine may increase the risk of hypertension in patients with BP over 140/90.
A nurse practitioner (NP) is working with a patient who has visual and auditory hallucinations.
The patient is paranoid and is convinced that the FBI has tapped their phone and has cameras in
their home. The patient is not currently taking any medications. The NP considers starting the
patient on risperidone (Risperdal) for their symptoms. What is the mechanism of action for this
medication? - CORRECT ANSWER: Blocking of dopamine 2 receptors. Risperdal is a second-
generation antipsychotic that blocks D2 receptors and serotonin 2A receptors.
A patient comes in for their follow-up after 30 days on Effexor Extended Release (XR) 150 mg
by mouth every morning for major depressive disorder. The patient tells their psychiatric mental
health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) that they feel great and have accomplished so many things in
the past week that they feel like they can do anything now. The patient shows the PMHNP a plan
Mental Health Status 2026 EXAM ACTUAL LATEST
VERSIONS 65 QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
VERIFIED ANSWERS WITH RATIONALES (100%
CORRECT) A+ GRADED ASSURED
1. How often must a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) renew board
certification? - CORRECT ANSWER: Every 5 years
A 16-year-old male patient presents with complaints of feeling depressed for nearly a month. He
self-rates his depression as severe. He has had suicidal thoughts on occasion but says he would
never act on them. He has been tired and unmotivated and cannot get up in the morning to attend
school. The patient is not sleeping well and is tired of his parents complaining about his low
grades. He has missed many school days and thinks everyone will be looking at him and talking
about him if he returns to school. The patient feels overwhelmed but is not motivated to make
any changes to his situation. The patient's psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP)
has decided to prescribe medication. Which medication should be the first choice? - CORRECT
ANSWER: Fluoxetine. Fluoxetine is FDA-approved for a patient this age with depression.
A new patient, 54 years of age, is scheduled to see the PMHNP. His medications are reconciled
by the nursing assistant and consist of Gabapentin and Fluoxetine (Prozac). Which medication
has a risk of withdrawal and should be tapered slowly? - CORRECT ANSWER: 1. Gabapentin.
Gabapentin requires a taper because of a short half-life of 5-7 hours. Patients can experience
withdrawal effects, both physically and psychologically, with abrupt discontinuation.
A nurse practitioner (NP) diagnoses a Chinese American patient with bipolar disorder, most
recent episode mixed. The NP wants to initiate carbamazepine (Tegretol) to treat this disorder.
Which step(s) should the NP take prior to prescribing this medication? - CORRECT ANSWER:
Draw for complete blood count (CBC), liver, kidney, thyroid function, and HLA-B*1502.
Baseline blood count—along with liver, thyroid, and kidney tests—are all recommended prior to
the initiation of carbamazepine. Additionally, the patient identifies as being of Asian descent;
having HLA-B*1502 drawn is important because individuals with this allele should not be
initiated on this medication.
, A nurse practitioner (NP) is seeing an adolescent patient experiencing their first psychotic
episode. The patient's mother requests that the patient be started on haloperidol (Haldol) because
she recalls her brother and father doing well on this medication. The NP wants to start the patient
on aripiprazole (Abilify). What is the difference in how these medications work? - CORRECT
ANSWER: Aripiprazole is a partial dopamine and serotonin agonist. Haloperidol is a dopamine 2
receptor blocker. Aripiprazole is an antipsychotic; it has a mechanism of action associated with
partial agonism leading to its antidepressant and antipsychotic effects.
A nurse practitioner (NP) is treating a newly diagnosed patient for attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD), inattentive type, with the stimulant lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse). The patient
tells the NP that they are traveling out of state for three days and want the new medication to be
ordered there instead. The NP has a license to practice only in their current state. What should
this NP do? - CORRECT ANSWER: Order the lisdexamfetamine in state via the electronic
prescribing tool so the patient can start the medication upon return. The NP can order the
stimulant via the electronic prescribing tool embedded in the electronic health record (EHR)
transfer or by script to an in-state pharmacy only where the NP has a license to practice. The
patient can start the medication after returning from the trip.
A nurse practitioner (NP) is working in a neuropsychiatric clinic that manages patients who have
treatment-resistant depression with esketamine (Spravato) nasal spray. A patient is presenting
today for a third dosing. What should this NP do prior to dosing? - CORRECT ANSWER:
Assess blood pressure. Assessing blood pressure (BP) prior to every dosing is necessary because
esketamine may increase the risk of hypertension in patients with BP over 140/90.
A nurse practitioner (NP) is working with a patient who has visual and auditory hallucinations.
The patient is paranoid and is convinced that the FBI has tapped their phone and has cameras in
their home. The patient is not currently taking any medications. The NP considers starting the
patient on risperidone (Risperdal) for their symptoms. What is the mechanism of action for this
medication? - CORRECT ANSWER: Blocking of dopamine 2 receptors. Risperdal is a second-
generation antipsychotic that blocks D2 receptors and serotonin 2A receptors.
A patient comes in for their follow-up after 30 days on Effexor Extended Release (XR) 150 mg
by mouth every morning for major depressive disorder. The patient tells their psychiatric mental
health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) that they feel great and have accomplished so many things in
the past week that they feel like they can do anything now. The patient shows the PMHNP a plan
