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NUR 326 PSYCHIATRIC NURSING EXAM QUESTIONS 2026
LATEST EXAM SOLVED QUESTIONS & ANSWERS VERIFIED
100% GRADED A+
A 27-year-old female client was admitted to the psychiatric unit from the
medical intensive care unit where she was treated for taking a deliberate
overdose of her antidepressant medication, trazodone (Desyrel). She says to
the nurse, "My boyfriend broke up with me. We had been together for 6 years. I
love him so much. I know I'll never get over him." Which is the best response
by the nurse?
a. "You'll get over him in time."
b. "Forget him. There are other fish in the sea."
c. "You must be feeling very sad about your loss."
d. "Why do you think he broke up with you?"
c. "You must be feeling very sad about your loss."
The nurse identifies the primary nursing diagnosis for a client as Risk for
suicide related to feelings of hopelessness from loss of relationship. Which is
the outcome criterion that would be most appropriate for this diagnosis?
a. The client has experienced no self-harm.
b. The client sets realistic goals.
c. The client expresses some optimism and hope for the future.
d. The client has reached a stage of acceptance in the loss of the relationship.
a. The client has experienced no self-harm.
A client is hospitalized following a suicide attempt after breaking up with her
boyfriend. She says to the nurse, "When I get out of here, I'm going to try this
again, and next time I'll choose a no-fail method." Which is the best response
by the nurse?
a. "You are safe here. We will make sure nothing happens to you."
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b. "You're just lucky your roommate came home when she did."
c. "What exactly do you plan to do?"
d. "I don't understand. You have so much to live for."
c. "What exactly do you plan to do?"
In determining the degree of suicidal risk with a client, the nurse assesses the
following behavioral manifestations: severely depressed, withdrawn,
statements of worthlessness, difficulty accomplishing activities of daily living,
no close support systems. The nurse identifies the client's risk for suicide as
which of the following?
a. Low risk
b. high risk
c. Imminent risk
d. Unable to be determined
b. high risk
A client who has been hospitalized following a suicide attempt is placed on
suicide precautions on the psychiatric unit. She admits that she is still feeling
suicidal. Which of the following interventions are most appropriate in this
instance? (Select all that apply.)
a. Restrict access to any item that might be harmful by placing the client in a
seclusion room.
b. Check on the client every 15 minutes at irregular intervals, or assign a staff
person to stay with her on a one-to-one basis.
c. Obtain an order from the physician to give the client a sedative to calm her
and reduce suicide ideas.
d. Do not allow the client to participate in any unit activities while she is on
suicide precautions.
e. Ask the client specific questions about her thoughts, plans, and intentions
related to suicide.
b. Check on the client every 15 minutes at irregular intervals, or assign a staff person
to stay with her on a one-to-one basis.
e. Ask the client specific questions about her thoughts, plans, and intentions related
to suicide.
A client, age 68, is a widow of 6 months. Over the last month she has become
socially withdrawn, has lost weight, and told her sister today that she "doesn't
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have anything more to live for." She has been hospitalized with major
depressive disorder. The priority nursing diagnosis for this client would be:
a. Imbalanced nutrition: less than body requirements.
b. Complicated grieving.
c. Risk for suicide.
d. Social isolation.
c. Risk for suicide.
The goal of cognitive behavior therapy with depressed clients is to:
a. Identify and change dysfunctional patterns of thinking.
b. Resolve the symptoms and initiate or restore adaptive family functioning.
c. Alter the neurotransmitters that are creating the depressed mood.
d. Provide feedback from peers who are having similar experiences.
a. Identify and change dysfunctional patterns of thinking.
A client expresses interest in alternative treatments for depression with
seasonal variations and asks the nurse about light therapy. Which of the
following are evidence-based teaching points that the nurse may share with
the client? (Select all that apply.)
a. Light therapy has demonstrated effectiveness that is comparable to
antidepressants.
b. Light therapy should be used regularly until the season changes.
c. Light therapy should be used only when electroconvulsive therapy has
proven to be ineffective.
d. Side effects such as headache, nausea, or agitation, when they occur, are
usually mild and transient.
e. Light therapy causes sedation, so the best time to use it is before bedtime.
a. Light therapy has demonstrated effectiveness that is comparable to
antidepressants.
b. Light therapy should be used regularly until the season changes.
d. Side effects such as headache, nausea, or agitation, when they occur, are usually
mild and transient.
A client has just been admitted to the psychiatric unit with a diagnosis of
major depressive disorder. Which of the following behavioral manifestations
might the nurse expect to assess? (Select all that apply)
a. Slumped posture
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b. Hallucinations
c. Feelings of despair
d. Appears to have boundless energy
e. Anorexia
a. Slumped posture
c. Feelings of despair
e. Anorexia
A client with depression asks the nurse, "Why would they be checking my
thyroid function when I clearly have depression and I'm not overweight?"
Which of these is an accurate response?
a. An underactive thyroid gland can manifest as depression.
b. Depression has been proven to be a hormonal illness.
c. Thyroid hormone replacement is a first-line treatment for most clients with
depression.
d. All of the above.
a. An underactive thyroid gland can manifest as depression.
An acutely depressed client isolates herself in her room and just sits and
stares into space. Which of these is the best example of an active
communication approach with this client?
a. "Do you like exercise?"
b. "Come with me. I will go with you to group therapy."
c. "Would you like to go to group therapy, stay in bed, or come out to the day
lounge for some activities?"
d. "Why do you stay in your room all the time?"
b. "Come with me. I will go with you to group therapy."
A client who has been taking sertraline (Zoloft) 50 mg PO bid for depression
tells the nurse, "I've been on this medication for almost a week and I don't feel
a bit better." What is the most appropriate response by the nurse?
a. "Cheer up. You have so much to be happy about."
b. "Sometimes it takes a few weeks for the medicine to bring about an
improvement in symptoms."
c. "I'll report that to the physician. Maybe he will order something different."
d. "Try not to dwell on your symptoms. Why don't you join the others down in
the dayroom?"
NUR 326 PSYCHIATRIC NURSING EXAM QUESTIONS 2026
LATEST EXAM SOLVED QUESTIONS & ANSWERS VERIFIED
100% GRADED A+
A 27-year-old female client was admitted to the psychiatric unit from the
medical intensive care unit where she was treated for taking a deliberate
overdose of her antidepressant medication, trazodone (Desyrel). She says to
the nurse, "My boyfriend broke up with me. We had been together for 6 years. I
love him so much. I know I'll never get over him." Which is the best response
by the nurse?
a. "You'll get over him in time."
b. "Forget him. There are other fish in the sea."
c. "You must be feeling very sad about your loss."
d. "Why do you think he broke up with you?"
c. "You must be feeling very sad about your loss."
The nurse identifies the primary nursing diagnosis for a client as Risk for
suicide related to feelings of hopelessness from loss of relationship. Which is
the outcome criterion that would be most appropriate for this diagnosis?
a. The client has experienced no self-harm.
b. The client sets realistic goals.
c. The client expresses some optimism and hope for the future.
d. The client has reached a stage of acceptance in the loss of the relationship.
a. The client has experienced no self-harm.
A client is hospitalized following a suicide attempt after breaking up with her
boyfriend. She says to the nurse, "When I get out of here, I'm going to try this
again, and next time I'll choose a no-fail method." Which is the best response
by the nurse?
a. "You are safe here. We will make sure nothing happens to you."
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b. "You're just lucky your roommate came home when she did."
c. "What exactly do you plan to do?"
d. "I don't understand. You have so much to live for."
c. "What exactly do you plan to do?"
In determining the degree of suicidal risk with a client, the nurse assesses the
following behavioral manifestations: severely depressed, withdrawn,
statements of worthlessness, difficulty accomplishing activities of daily living,
no close support systems. The nurse identifies the client's risk for suicide as
which of the following?
a. Low risk
b. high risk
c. Imminent risk
d. Unable to be determined
b. high risk
A client who has been hospitalized following a suicide attempt is placed on
suicide precautions on the psychiatric unit. She admits that she is still feeling
suicidal. Which of the following interventions are most appropriate in this
instance? (Select all that apply.)
a. Restrict access to any item that might be harmful by placing the client in a
seclusion room.
b. Check on the client every 15 minutes at irregular intervals, or assign a staff
person to stay with her on a one-to-one basis.
c. Obtain an order from the physician to give the client a sedative to calm her
and reduce suicide ideas.
d. Do not allow the client to participate in any unit activities while she is on
suicide precautions.
e. Ask the client specific questions about her thoughts, plans, and intentions
related to suicide.
b. Check on the client every 15 minutes at irregular intervals, or assign a staff person
to stay with her on a one-to-one basis.
e. Ask the client specific questions about her thoughts, plans, and intentions related
to suicide.
A client, age 68, is a widow of 6 months. Over the last month she has become
socially withdrawn, has lost weight, and told her sister today that she "doesn't
, Page 3 of 131
have anything more to live for." She has been hospitalized with major
depressive disorder. The priority nursing diagnosis for this client would be:
a. Imbalanced nutrition: less than body requirements.
b. Complicated grieving.
c. Risk for suicide.
d. Social isolation.
c. Risk for suicide.
The goal of cognitive behavior therapy with depressed clients is to:
a. Identify and change dysfunctional patterns of thinking.
b. Resolve the symptoms and initiate or restore adaptive family functioning.
c. Alter the neurotransmitters that are creating the depressed mood.
d. Provide feedback from peers who are having similar experiences.
a. Identify and change dysfunctional patterns of thinking.
A client expresses interest in alternative treatments for depression with
seasonal variations and asks the nurse about light therapy. Which of the
following are evidence-based teaching points that the nurse may share with
the client? (Select all that apply.)
a. Light therapy has demonstrated effectiveness that is comparable to
antidepressants.
b. Light therapy should be used regularly until the season changes.
c. Light therapy should be used only when electroconvulsive therapy has
proven to be ineffective.
d. Side effects such as headache, nausea, or agitation, when they occur, are
usually mild and transient.
e. Light therapy causes sedation, so the best time to use it is before bedtime.
a. Light therapy has demonstrated effectiveness that is comparable to
antidepressants.
b. Light therapy should be used regularly until the season changes.
d. Side effects such as headache, nausea, or agitation, when they occur, are usually
mild and transient.
A client has just been admitted to the psychiatric unit with a diagnosis of
major depressive disorder. Which of the following behavioral manifestations
might the nurse expect to assess? (Select all that apply)
a. Slumped posture
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b. Hallucinations
c. Feelings of despair
d. Appears to have boundless energy
e. Anorexia
a. Slumped posture
c. Feelings of despair
e. Anorexia
A client with depression asks the nurse, "Why would they be checking my
thyroid function when I clearly have depression and I'm not overweight?"
Which of these is an accurate response?
a. An underactive thyroid gland can manifest as depression.
b. Depression has been proven to be a hormonal illness.
c. Thyroid hormone replacement is a first-line treatment for most clients with
depression.
d. All of the above.
a. An underactive thyroid gland can manifest as depression.
An acutely depressed client isolates herself in her room and just sits and
stares into space. Which of these is the best example of an active
communication approach with this client?
a. "Do you like exercise?"
b. "Come with me. I will go with you to group therapy."
c. "Would you like to go to group therapy, stay in bed, or come out to the day
lounge for some activities?"
d. "Why do you stay in your room all the time?"
b. "Come with me. I will go with you to group therapy."
A client who has been taking sertraline (Zoloft) 50 mg PO bid for depression
tells the nurse, "I've been on this medication for almost a week and I don't feel
a bit better." What is the most appropriate response by the nurse?
a. "Cheer up. You have so much to be happy about."
b. "Sometimes it takes a few weeks for the medicine to bring about an
improvement in symptoms."
c. "I'll report that to the physician. Maybe he will order something different."
d. "Try not to dwell on your symptoms. Why don't you join the others down in
the dayroom?"
