PSYCHIATRIC AIDE CERTIFICATION EXAM
ACTUAL PREP QUESTIONS AND WELL
REVISED ANSWERS - LATEST AND COMPLETE
UPDATE WITH VERIFIED SOLUTIONS –
ASSURES PASS
1. A psychiatric aide observes a patient pacing and muttering to themselves.
The most appropriate first action is to:
A. Confront the patient about their behavior
B. Assess the patient’s safety and mental status
C. Ignore the behavior until it escalates
D. Restrain the patient immediately
Rationale: Safety assessment is the first priority in psychiatric care.
Immediate confrontation or restraint without assessment can escalate the
situation.
2. Which of the following is a primary role of a psychiatric aide in a mental
health facility?
A. Prescribing medications
B. Conducting psychotherapy
C. Monitoring patients and reporting changes
D. Performing surgical procedures
Rationale: Psychiatric aides provide support and observation, not
independent medical interventions.
3. A patient with schizophrenia refuses to take medication. The aide should:
A. Force the patient to take it
B. Notify the nurse or physician immediately
C. Ignore the refusal
, D. Give the medication later without supervision
Rationale: Medication administration must follow legal and professional
protocols. The aide reports refusals to licensed staff.
4. A patient expresses feelings of hopelessness and says they “want to
disappear.” The aide’s immediate priority is:
A. Allowing the patient privacy
B. Ensuring the patient’s safety and notifying a nurse
C. Telling the patient to cheer up
D. Recording the statement in the chart only
Rationale: Statements indicating suicidal ideation require immediate
safety interventions and reporting.
5. Which of the following best describes transference in psychiatric care?
A. A patient moving to a different room
B. Patient projecting feelings onto staff
C. Staff feeling bored with routine tasks
D. A transfer of medical records
Rationale: Transference is a psychoanalytic concept where patients
unconsciously project emotions onto caregivers.
6. The therapeutic use of self requires the aide to:
A. Share personal problems freely
B. Use professional presence and communication to support patients
C. Avoid all communication with patients
D. Only speak when instructed by nurses
Rationale: Therapeutic use of self involves purposeful, professional
interactions to promote patient well-being.
7. When documenting a patient’s behavior, the aide should:
A. Include personal opinions
, B. Record objective, factual observations
C. Guess the patient’s thoughts
D. Write only positive behaviors
Rationale: Documentation must be objective, measurable, and factual for
clinical and legal purposes.
8. A patient becomes verbally aggressive. The safest approach is to:
A. Respond with equal aggression
B. Maintain calm, non-threatening body language, and seek help if
needed
C. Touch the patient to calm them
D. Leave the unit immediately
Rationale: De-escalation techniques involve calm, safe interactions,
avoiding physical confrontation unless necessary.
9. Which intervention is most appropriate for a patient experiencing acute
anxiety?
A. Encourage intense physical activity immediately
B. Guide the patient through deep breathing and grounding exercises
C. Ignore the anxiety to promote independence
D. Administer medications independently
Rationale: Psychiatric aides support coping strategies; medication
administration is the responsibility of licensed staff.
10.A patient repeatedly refuses meals. The aide should:
A. Force the patient to eat
B. Notify the nurse and document the refusal
C. Punish the patient
D. Ignore the behavior
, Rationale: Refusal of meals can indicate medical or psychiatric issues;
aides report to licensed staff and document carefully.
11.Which of the following is considered a violation of patient confidentiality?
A. Sharing patient information with the treatment team
B. Discussing a patient’s history with friends outside work
C. Documenting patient care in the chart
D. Reporting safety concerns to a nurse
Rationale: Confidentiality is legally protected. Sharing outside the care
team breaches HIPAA and professional standards.
12.A patient with bipolar disorder is in a manic episode. Which behavior is
expected?
A. Social withdrawal and fatigue
B. Rapid speech, impulsivity, and irritability
C. Constant fear and hypervigilance
D. Hallucinations only
Rationale: Manic episodes involve elevated mood, hyperactivity, and
impulsive behaviors.
13.A patient with depression refuses to participate in group therapy. The aide
should:
A. Force participation
B. Encourage but not coerce and report refusal
C. Punish the patient
D. Mock the patient for non-participation
Rationale: Aides support engagement but do not enforce therapy; refusals
are documented and reported.
14.Which sign indicates potential aggression in a patient?
A. Quiet and cooperative behavior
ACTUAL PREP QUESTIONS AND WELL
REVISED ANSWERS - LATEST AND COMPLETE
UPDATE WITH VERIFIED SOLUTIONS –
ASSURES PASS
1. A psychiatric aide observes a patient pacing and muttering to themselves.
The most appropriate first action is to:
A. Confront the patient about their behavior
B. Assess the patient’s safety and mental status
C. Ignore the behavior until it escalates
D. Restrain the patient immediately
Rationale: Safety assessment is the first priority in psychiatric care.
Immediate confrontation or restraint without assessment can escalate the
situation.
2. Which of the following is a primary role of a psychiatric aide in a mental
health facility?
A. Prescribing medications
B. Conducting psychotherapy
C. Monitoring patients and reporting changes
D. Performing surgical procedures
Rationale: Psychiatric aides provide support and observation, not
independent medical interventions.
3. A patient with schizophrenia refuses to take medication. The aide should:
A. Force the patient to take it
B. Notify the nurse or physician immediately
C. Ignore the refusal
, D. Give the medication later without supervision
Rationale: Medication administration must follow legal and professional
protocols. The aide reports refusals to licensed staff.
4. A patient expresses feelings of hopelessness and says they “want to
disappear.” The aide’s immediate priority is:
A. Allowing the patient privacy
B. Ensuring the patient’s safety and notifying a nurse
C. Telling the patient to cheer up
D. Recording the statement in the chart only
Rationale: Statements indicating suicidal ideation require immediate
safety interventions and reporting.
5. Which of the following best describes transference in psychiatric care?
A. A patient moving to a different room
B. Patient projecting feelings onto staff
C. Staff feeling bored with routine tasks
D. A transfer of medical records
Rationale: Transference is a psychoanalytic concept where patients
unconsciously project emotions onto caregivers.
6. The therapeutic use of self requires the aide to:
A. Share personal problems freely
B. Use professional presence and communication to support patients
C. Avoid all communication with patients
D. Only speak when instructed by nurses
Rationale: Therapeutic use of self involves purposeful, professional
interactions to promote patient well-being.
7. When documenting a patient’s behavior, the aide should:
A. Include personal opinions
, B. Record objective, factual observations
C. Guess the patient’s thoughts
D. Write only positive behaviors
Rationale: Documentation must be objective, measurable, and factual for
clinical and legal purposes.
8. A patient becomes verbally aggressive. The safest approach is to:
A. Respond with equal aggression
B. Maintain calm, non-threatening body language, and seek help if
needed
C. Touch the patient to calm them
D. Leave the unit immediately
Rationale: De-escalation techniques involve calm, safe interactions,
avoiding physical confrontation unless necessary.
9. Which intervention is most appropriate for a patient experiencing acute
anxiety?
A. Encourage intense physical activity immediately
B. Guide the patient through deep breathing and grounding exercises
C. Ignore the anxiety to promote independence
D. Administer medications independently
Rationale: Psychiatric aides support coping strategies; medication
administration is the responsibility of licensed staff.
10.A patient repeatedly refuses meals. The aide should:
A. Force the patient to eat
B. Notify the nurse and document the refusal
C. Punish the patient
D. Ignore the behavior
, Rationale: Refusal of meals can indicate medical or psychiatric issues;
aides report to licensed staff and document carefully.
11.Which of the following is considered a violation of patient confidentiality?
A. Sharing patient information with the treatment team
B. Discussing a patient’s history with friends outside work
C. Documenting patient care in the chart
D. Reporting safety concerns to a nurse
Rationale: Confidentiality is legally protected. Sharing outside the care
team breaches HIPAA and professional standards.
12.A patient with bipolar disorder is in a manic episode. Which behavior is
expected?
A. Social withdrawal and fatigue
B. Rapid speech, impulsivity, and irritability
C. Constant fear and hypervigilance
D. Hallucinations only
Rationale: Manic episodes involve elevated mood, hyperactivity, and
impulsive behaviors.
13.A patient with depression refuses to participate in group therapy. The aide
should:
A. Force participation
B. Encourage but not coerce and report refusal
C. Punish the patient
D. Mock the patient for non-participation
Rationale: Aides support engagement but do not enforce therapy; refusals
are documented and reported.
14.Which sign indicates potential aggression in a patient?
A. Quiet and cooperative behavior
