PSYCHIATRIC-MENTAL HEALTH NURSING
10TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)SHEILA L. VIDEBECK
TEST BANK
UNIT 1 — CURRENT THEORIES & PRACTICE
1
Reference: Ch. 1 — Foundations of Psychiatric–Mental Health
Nursing — Mental Health vs. Mental Illness
Stem: A 28-year-old client who has recently been promoted
reports feeling exhausted, has insomnia for three weeks, and
worries about job performance. During the nursing interview
the client appears neatly dressed, maintains eye contact, and
describes manageable stressors. As the nurse, which action best
demonstrates appropriate initial clinical judgment about this
client’s mental health status?
A. Document “no mental illness; normal stress reaction” and
,discharge with no follow-up.
B. Conduct a focused assessment of sleep, mood, functioning,
and coping, and plan short-term follow-up.
C. Immediately refer for involuntary psychiatric hospitalization
because of insomnia and stress.
D. Prescribe an over-the-counter sleep aid and advise the client
to return if symptoms worsen.
Correct answer: B
Rationale — Correct (B): The nurse must differentiate between
expected stress reactions and emerging pathology by
performing a focused assessment of sleep, mood, coping, and
functional impairment. This action matches Videbeck’s
emphasis on assessing level of distress and adaptive functioning
before labeling illness, and it prioritizes safety and continuity of
care.
Rationale — Incorrect:
A. Unsafe: prematurely rules out need for assessment and
follow-up; misses opportunity to identify worsening symptoms.
C. Inappropriate: involuntary hospitalization requires imminent
risk of harm; not indicated by given data.
D. Outside scope: nurses cannot independently prescribe;
offering OTC medication without assessment and plan is
incomplete and may miss underlying issues.
Teaching point: Differentiate stress from disorder via focused
assessment and arrange timely follow-up.
,Citation: Videbeck, S. L. (2025). Psychiatric–Mental Health
Nursing (10th ed.). Ch. 1.
2
Reference: Ch. 1 — Foundations — Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)
Stem: A nurse preparing a care plan for a client with anxiety
reviews the chart and notes a DSM diagnosis listed without
supporting assessment detail. What is the nurse’s best next
action?
A. Accept the diagnosis as definitive and implement standard
medication teaching for that disorder.
B. Complete a thorough, current assessment to confirm
diagnostic criteria and individualize interventions.
C. Remove the DSM diagnosis from the chart because it’s not
the nurse’s responsibility to document diagnoses.
D. Contact the prescriber and request immediate change of
diagnosis to a more general symptom label.
Correct answer: B
Rationale — Correct (B): The DSM provides diagnostic criteria,
but nursing care requires current, individualized assessment to
confirm symptoms, assess severity, and guide interventions—
consistent with Videbeck’s emphasis on nursing assessment and
clinical judgment.
Rationale — Incorrect:
, A. Risky: assuming a diagnosis without verification can lead to
inappropriate interventions and misses client context.
C. Incorrect: nurses document assessments and clarify when
documentation is incomplete; they should not unilaterally
remove provider diagnoses.
D. Premature: changing diagnosis requires clinical evidence;
contact with prescriber may be appropriate later, but first
obtain assessment data.
Teaching point: Verify DSM diagnoses with your own
comprehensive, current assessment.
Citation: Videbeck, S. L. (2025). Psychiatric–Mental Health
Nursing (10th ed.). Ch. 1.
3
Reference: Ch. 1 — Historical Perspectives — Treatment of
Mental Illness
Stem: A student nurse is assigned to an older adult with a
history of institutionalization and expresses distrust of mental
health providers. The client states, “I’ve been locked away
before; I won’t let that happen again.” How should the nurse
respond to build trust while acknowledging historical context?
A. Explain that modern psychiatric care never uses restraints or
institutionalization.
B. Validate the client’s feelings, explain current voluntary
treatment options, and negotiate collaborative goals.
C. Insist that the client must accept treatment to avoid
10TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)SHEILA L. VIDEBECK
TEST BANK
UNIT 1 — CURRENT THEORIES & PRACTICE
1
Reference: Ch. 1 — Foundations of Psychiatric–Mental Health
Nursing — Mental Health vs. Mental Illness
Stem: A 28-year-old client who has recently been promoted
reports feeling exhausted, has insomnia for three weeks, and
worries about job performance. During the nursing interview
the client appears neatly dressed, maintains eye contact, and
describes manageable stressors. As the nurse, which action best
demonstrates appropriate initial clinical judgment about this
client’s mental health status?
A. Document “no mental illness; normal stress reaction” and
,discharge with no follow-up.
B. Conduct a focused assessment of sleep, mood, functioning,
and coping, and plan short-term follow-up.
C. Immediately refer for involuntary psychiatric hospitalization
because of insomnia and stress.
D. Prescribe an over-the-counter sleep aid and advise the client
to return if symptoms worsen.
Correct answer: B
Rationale — Correct (B): The nurse must differentiate between
expected stress reactions and emerging pathology by
performing a focused assessment of sleep, mood, coping, and
functional impairment. This action matches Videbeck’s
emphasis on assessing level of distress and adaptive functioning
before labeling illness, and it prioritizes safety and continuity of
care.
Rationale — Incorrect:
A. Unsafe: prematurely rules out need for assessment and
follow-up; misses opportunity to identify worsening symptoms.
C. Inappropriate: involuntary hospitalization requires imminent
risk of harm; not indicated by given data.
D. Outside scope: nurses cannot independently prescribe;
offering OTC medication without assessment and plan is
incomplete and may miss underlying issues.
Teaching point: Differentiate stress from disorder via focused
assessment and arrange timely follow-up.
,Citation: Videbeck, S. L. (2025). Psychiatric–Mental Health
Nursing (10th ed.). Ch. 1.
2
Reference: Ch. 1 — Foundations — Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)
Stem: A nurse preparing a care plan for a client with anxiety
reviews the chart and notes a DSM diagnosis listed without
supporting assessment detail. What is the nurse’s best next
action?
A. Accept the diagnosis as definitive and implement standard
medication teaching for that disorder.
B. Complete a thorough, current assessment to confirm
diagnostic criteria and individualize interventions.
C. Remove the DSM diagnosis from the chart because it’s not
the nurse’s responsibility to document diagnoses.
D. Contact the prescriber and request immediate change of
diagnosis to a more general symptom label.
Correct answer: B
Rationale — Correct (B): The DSM provides diagnostic criteria,
but nursing care requires current, individualized assessment to
confirm symptoms, assess severity, and guide interventions—
consistent with Videbeck’s emphasis on nursing assessment and
clinical judgment.
Rationale — Incorrect:
, A. Risky: assuming a diagnosis without verification can lead to
inappropriate interventions and misses client context.
C. Incorrect: nurses document assessments and clarify when
documentation is incomplete; they should not unilaterally
remove provider diagnoses.
D. Premature: changing diagnosis requires clinical evidence;
contact with prescriber may be appropriate later, but first
obtain assessment data.
Teaching point: Verify DSM diagnoses with your own
comprehensive, current assessment.
Citation: Videbeck, S. L. (2025). Psychiatric–Mental Health
Nursing (10th ed.). Ch. 1.
3
Reference: Ch. 1 — Historical Perspectives — Treatment of
Mental Illness
Stem: A student nurse is assigned to an older adult with a
history of institutionalization and expresses distrust of mental
health providers. The client states, “I’ve been locked away
before; I won’t let that happen again.” How should the nurse
respond to build trust while acknowledging historical context?
A. Explain that modern psychiatric care never uses restraints or
institutionalization.
B. Validate the client’s feelings, explain current voluntary
treatment options, and negotiate collaborative goals.
C. Insist that the client must accept treatment to avoid
