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1. What is the priority nursing objective of the therapeutic psychiatric environment for a confused client?

• Assist the client to relate to others.
• Make the hospital atmosphere more home-like.
• Help the client become accepted in a controlled setting.
• Maintain the highest level of safe, independent functioning.

2. How should a nurse intervene when a regressed, emotionally disturbed client voids on the floor in the sitting room of the mental health unit?

• Make the client mop the floor.
• Restrict the client’s fluids for the rest of the day.
• Toilet the client more frequently with supervision.
• Withhold the client’s privileges each time the client voids on the floor.

3. While watching TV in the day room, a client who has demonstrated withdrawn, regressed behavior suddenly screams, bursts into tears, and runs out of the room to the far end of the hallway. What is the most therapeutic action by the nurse?

• Walk to the end of the hallway where the client is standing.
• Accept the action as being the impulsive behavior of a sick person.
• Ask another client in the day room why the client acted as she did.
• Document the incident in the client’s record while the memory is fresh.

4. A client’s severe anxiety and panic are often considered to be “contagious.” What action should be taken when a nurse’s personal feelings of anxiety are increasing?

• Refocus the conversation on some pleasant topics.
• Say to the client, “Calm down. You are making me anxious, too.”
• Say, “Another staff member is coming in. I will leave and return later.”
• Remain quiet so that personal feelings of anxiety do not become apparent to the client.

5. A delirious client sees a design on the wallpaper and perceives it as an animal. How should a nurse communicate what the client perceived at the change of shift report?

• A delusion
• An illusion
• A hallucination
• An idea of reference

6. A nurse enters a client’s room and identifies that the client appears preoccupied. Turning to the nurse, the client states, “They are saying terrible things about me. Can’t you hear them?” What is the nurse’s most therapeutic response?

• “It seems you heard them before.”
• “Try to get control of your feelings.”
• “There is no one here but me, and I don’t hear anything.”
• “I don’t hear anyone else talking, but I can see you are upset.”

7. A client is delusional, talking about people who are plotting to do harm. A nurse identifies that the client is pacing more than usual and is concerned that the client is beginning to lose control. What is the best nursing intervention?

• Advise the client to use a punching bag.
• Move the client to a quiet place on the unit.
• Encourage the client to sit down for a while.
• Allow the client to continue pacing with supervision.

8. A nurse is assigned to care for a regressed college student who has been talking to unseen people and refusing to get out of bed, go to class, or get involved in daily grooming activities. What is the nurse’s initial effort toward helping this client?

• Providing frequent rest periods
• Reducing environmental stimuli
• Facilitating the client’s social relationships with a peer group
• Attempting to establish a meaningful relationship with the client

9. A client who experiences auditory hallucinations agrees to discuss alternative coping strategies with a nurse. For the next 3 days when the nurse attempts to focus on alternative strategies, the client gets up and leaves the interaction. What is the nurse’s most therapeutic response?

• “Come back; you agreed that you would discuss other ways to cope.”
• “You seem very uncomfortable every time I bring up a new way to cope.”
• “Did you agree to talk about other ways to cope because you thought that was what I wanted?”
• “You walk out each time I start to discuss the hallucinations; does that mean you’ve changed your mind?”

10. A client with a general anxiety disorder says to the nurse, “What can I do to prevent overreacting to stress?” What is the nurse’s best response?

• “Hone your problem-solving skills.”
• “Improve your time management skills.”
• “Ignore situations that you cannot change.”
• “Develop a wide variety of coping strategies.”

11. A client tells the nurse, “I am a terrible, evil person; the voices are telling me that God needs to punish me.” What is the nurse’s most therapeutic initial response?

• “God is loving and will not punish you.”
• “Those voices you are hearing are a fantasy.”
• “Tell me what you are thinking about yourself.”
• “You aren’t wicked, since both God and I love you.”

12. What is a nurse’s most appropriate action when a client is seen openly masturbating in the recreation room?

• Restraining the client’s hands
• Putting the client in seclusion
• Escorting the client out of the room
• Teaching the client acceptable behavior

13. When attempting to assess the behavior of an older adult diagnosed with vascular dementia, a nurse considers that the client probably is:

• not capable of using any defense mechanisms.
• using one method of defense for every situation.
• making exaggerated use of old, familiar mechanisms.
• attempting to develop new defense mechanisms to meet the current situation.

14. A regressed, emotionally disturbed client who has been watching a nurse for a few days suddenly walks up and shouts, “You think you’re so damned perfect and good. I think you stink!” What is the nurse’s most appropriate response?

• “Do you mean I smell?”
• “You seem angry with me.”
• “Boy, you’re in a bad mood.”
• “I can’t be all that bad, can I?”

15. The parents of an adolescent who is experiencing posttraumatic stress disorder have decided to care for their child at home. What is the priority intervention that the home health nurse must include in the plan of care?

• Encourage the parents to keep their child within the home environment.
• Help the parents identify their child’s problems that cause them to be fearful.
• Assist the parents to understand that their child may avoid emotional attachments.
• Discuss with the parents their feelings of ambivalence about what their child is enduring.

16. A client experiencing hallucinations tells a nurse, “The voices are telling me I’m no good.” The client asks whether the nurse hears the voices. Which is the nurse’s most appropriate response?

• “No, I do not hear the voices, but I believe you can hear them.”
• “It is the voice of your conscience, which only you can control.”
• “Those voices are coming from within you; only you can hear them.”
• “Hearing the voices are a symptom of your illness; don’t pay attention to them.”

17. Which nursing intervention is most helpful in meeting the needs of an older adult with the diagnosis of dementia of the Alzheimer type?

• Providing nutritious foods high in carbohydrates and proteins
• Offering opportunities for choices in the daily schedule to stimulate interest
• Developing a consistent plan with fixed time schedules to provide for emotional needs
• Simplifying the environment as much as possible and eliminating the need for decisions and choices

18. What is an important aspect of nursing care for a client exhibiting psychotic patterns of thinking and behavior?

• Help keep the client oriented to reality.
• Involve the client in activities throughout the day.
• Help the client understand that it is harmful to withdraw from situations.
• Encourage the client to discuss why interacting with other people is being avoided.

19. A delusional client refuses to eat because of a belief that the food is poisoned. What is the most appropriate initial nursing intervention?

• State that the food is not poisoned.
• Taste the food in the client’s presence.
• Show the client that other people are eating without being harmed.
• Tell the client that tube feedings will be started if eating does not begin.

20. A client with schizophrenia plans an activity schedule with the help of the treatment team. A written copy is posted in the client’s room. What should the nurse say when it is time for the client to go for a walk?

• “It’s time for you to go for a walk now.”
• “Do you want to take your scheduled walk now?”
• “When would you like to go for your walk today?”
• “You are supposed to be going for your walk now.”

21. A nurse observes a regressed, emotionally disturbed client using the hands to eat soft foods. What is the best nursing intervention?

• Give the client a spoon and suggest it be used.
• Say in a joking way, “Well, I guess fingers were made before forks.”
• Ignore the behavior and observe several additional meals before intervening.
• Remove the food while saying, “You can’t have any more until you use your spoon.”

22. An older adult is brought to the clinic by a family member because of increasing confusion over the past week. What can the nurse ask clients to assess their orientation to place?

• Explain a proverb.
• State where they were born.
• Identify the name of the town.
• Recall what they had eaten for breakfast.

23. A client with a history of schizophrenia attends the mental health clinic for a regularly scheduled group therapy session. The client arrives agitated and exhibits behaviors that indicates the hearing of voices. When a nurse begins to walk toward the client, the client pulls out a large knife. Which is the nurse’s best approach?

• Firm
• Passive
• Empathetic
• Confrontational

24. During the admission procedure, a client appears to be responding to voices. The client cries out at intervals, “No, no, I didn’t kill him. You know the truth; tell that police officer. Please help me!” What is the nurse’s most appropriate response?

• Sit quietly and not respond to the client’s statements.
• Listen attentively and assume a facial expression of disbelief.
• Respond by saying, “I want to help you. I realize you must be very frightened.”
• Say, “Do not become so upset. No one is talking to you; those voices are part of your illness.”

25. A nurse is caring for a client with a generalized anxiety disorder. Which factor should be assessed to determine the client’s present status?

• Memory
• Behavior
• Judgment
• Responsiveness

26. While a nurse is talking with a client, another client comes up and yells, “I hate you! You’re talking about me again,” and throws a glass of juice at the nurse. What is the nurse’s best response to this outburst?

• Repeat the client’s words and ask for clarification.
• Remove the client from the room because limits must be placed on the behavior.
• Ignore both the behavior and the client, clean up the juice, and talk with the client later.
• Verbalize feelings of annoyance as an example to the client that it is more acceptable to verbalize feelings than to act them out.

27. A nurse is interviewing a client with a phobia. Which treatment should the nurse inform the client has the highest success rate?

• Insight therapy to determine the origin of the fear
• Systematic desensitization using relaxation techniques
• Psychotherapy aimed at rearranging psychotic thought processes
• Psychoanalytic exploration of repressed conflicts of an earlier developmental phase

28. A client arrives at the mental health clinic disheveled, agitated, and demanding that the nurse “do something to end this feeling.” What clinical manifestation is evident?

• Feelings of panic
• Suicidal tendencies
• Narcissistic ideation
• Demanding personality

29. A client with schizophrenia has a history of hearing voices that say, “You are a bad person.” While having a conversa tion with a nurse with whom the client has been working, the client states, “I am starting to hear the same voices again.” What is the nurse’s best response?

• “Try to ignore the voices.”
• “What are the voices saying to you?”
• “Do you believe what the voices are saying?”
• “Try not to be afraid because they are only voices.”

30. What is the most appropriate nursing intervention for clients who exhibit mild cognitive impairment?

• Reality orientation
• Behavioral confrontation
• Reflective communication
• Reminiscence group therapy

31. Why is observation an especially important aspect of nursing care for a withdrawn client?

• It assists in confirming the client’s diagnosis.
• It helps in understanding the client’s behavior.
• The staff is informed about the client’s illness.
• The degree of the client’s depression is indicated.

32. A client’s admitting history indicates signs of akathisia. What clinical finding should the nurse expect when assess ing for akathisia?

• Facial tics
• Motor restlessness
• Maintaining a body position for hours
• Repeating the movements of another person

33. When answering questions from the family of a client with Alzheimer disease, the nurse explains, “This disease is:

• one that emerges in the fourth decade of life.”
• a slow and relentless deterioration of the mind.”
• functional in origin that occurs in the later years.”
• diagnosed through laboratory and psychologic tests.”

34. What clinical manifestation is the most serious indication of impending assaultive behavior by a client on a mental health unit?

• Uses profane language
• Touches people excessively
• Exhibits a sudden withdrawal
• Experiences command hallucinations

35. What should the nurse do to achieve a primary objective of providing a therapeutic daycare environment for a client who is withdrawn and reclusive?

• Foster a trusting relationship.
• Administer medications on time.
• Involve the client in a group with peers.
• Remove the client from the family home.

36. An acutely ill client with the diagnosis of schizophrenia has just been admitted to the mental health unit. What is the most therapeutic initial nursing intervention?

• Spend time with the client to build trust and demonstrate acceptance.
• Involve the client in occupational therapy and use diversional activity.
• Delay one-to-one client interactions until medications reduce the psychotic symptoms.
• Involve the client in multiple small-group discussions to distract attention from the fantasy world.

37. How should a nurse expect a client’s anxiety to be manifested physiologically?

• Constricted pupils
• Narrowed bronchioles
• Decreased blood pressure
• Increased blood glucose level

38. One evening a nurse finds a client who has been experienc ing persecutory delusions trying to get out the door. The client states, “Please let me go. I trust you. The Mafia is going to kill me tonight.” Which response is most therapeutic?

• “You are frightened. Come with me to your room, and we can talk about it.”
• “Come with me to your room. I’ll lock the door, and no one will get in to harm you.”
• “Nobody here wants to harm you, and you know that. I’ll come with you to your room.”
• “Thank you for trusting me. Maybe you can trust me when I tell you no one will kill you here.”

39. A nurse’s best approach when caring for a confused, older client is to provide an environment with:

• space for privacy.
• group involvement.
• trusting relationships.
• activities that are varied.

40. As a nurse enters a room and approaches a client who has schizophrenia, the client states, “Get out of here before I hit you! Go away!” The nurse concludes that this aggressive behavior is probably related to the fact that the client felt:

• that voices were directing the behavior.
• trapped when the nurse walked into the room.
• afraid of doing harm to the nurse if the nurse came closer.
• that nurse was similar to someone who was previously frightening.

41. An older adult on the mental health unit begins acting out while in the day room. What is a nurse’s initial intervention?

• Instruct the client to be quiet.
• Allow the client to act out until fatigue sets in.
• Give the client directions in a firm, low-pitched voice.
• Guide the client from the room by gently holding the client’s arm.

42. What is the most appropriate way for the nurse to help a withdrawn, emotionally disturbed adolescent client to accept the realities of daily living?

• Assist the client to care for personal hygiene needs.
• Encourage the client to keep up with school studies.
• Persuade the client to join the other clients in group activities.
• Leave the client alone when there appears to be a disinterest in daily activities.

43. What are the four “As” for which nurses should assess clients suspected of having Alzheimer disease?

• Amnesia, apraxia, agnosia, aphasia
• Avoidance, aloofness, asocial, asexual
• Autism, loose association, apathy, affect
• Aggressive, amoral, ambivalent, attractive

44. What should a nurse do when caring for a client whose behavior is characterized by pathologic suspicion?

• Protect the client from environmental stress.
• Help the client realize the suspicions are unrealistic.
• Ask the client to explain the reasons for the feelings.
• Help the client to feel accepted by the staff on the unit.

45. Nurses working with clients who have a diagnosis of dementia should adopt a common approach of care because these clients need to:

• relate in a consistent manner to staff.
• learn that the staff cannot be manipulated.
• accept controls that are concrete and fairly applied.
• have sameness and consistency in their environment.

46. A client is diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder. For what behavior should the nurse assess a client to determine the effectiveness of therapy?

• Participates in activities
• Learns how to avoid anxiety
• Takes medication as prescribed
• Identifies when anxiety is developing

47. In what situation should a nurse anticipate that a client will experience a phobic reaction?

• Seeking attention from others
• Thinking about the feared object
• Coming into contact with the feared object
• Being exposed to an unfamiliar environment

48. What should a nurse include in the plan of care for a client with vascular dementia?

• A reeducation program
• Details for supportive care
• An introduction of new leisure-time activities
• Plans for involvement in group therapy sessions

49. What is the best nursing intervention to encourage a withdrawn, noncommunicative client to talk?

• Focus on nonthreatening subjects.
• Try to get the client to discuss feelings.
• Ask simple questions that require “yes” or “no” answers.
• Sit quietly while looking through magazines with the client.

50. A client with schizophrenia is admitted to an acute care psychiatric unit. Which clinical findings indicate positive signs and symptoms associated with schizophrenia?

• Withdrawal, poverty of speech, inattentiveness
• Flat affect, decreased spontaneity, asocial behavior
• Hypomania, labile mood swings, episodes of euphoria
• Hyperactivity, auditory hallucinations, loose associations