PSYCHIATRIC MENTAL HEALTH NURSING
SUCCESS
NCLEX-STYLE Q&A REVIEW
5TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)CATHERINE MELFI
CURTIS; AUDRA BAKER FEGLEY
TEST BANK
1
Reference: Unit — Critical Thinking and Clinical Judgment
Related to Test Taking
Stem: A student encounters an NCLEX-style item requiring
selection of the most appropriate therapeutic response to a
suicidal statement. The student feels anxious and recalls the
CJMM steps. Which first action best reflects correct use of the
CJMM when approaching this item?
A. Choose the option that seems most empathetic.
,B. Identify the primary client problem and immediate safety
risk.
C. Eliminate two obviously wrong answers and pick between
the remaining.
D. Select the response that aligns with your past clinical
experience.
Correct answer: B
Rationale — Correct: Identifying the primary problem and
safety risk follows CJMM—recognize and prioritize safety before
selecting interventions. This frames the clinical judgment
process.
Rationale — Incorrect:
A. Empathy matters but must follow problem recognition and
safety prioritization.
C. Test-wise elimination is useful but secondary to clinical
recognition of safety.
D. Personal clinical experience may bias decisions and might not
match the item’s intent.
Teaching point: Always identify the client problem and
immediate safety risk first.
Citation: Curtis, C. M., & Fegley, A. B. (2023). Psychiatric Mental
Health Nursing Success: NCLEX-Style Q&A Review (5th ed.).
2
Reference: Unit — Critical Thinking and Clinical Judgment
Related to Test Taking
,Stem: While practicing NGN case scenarios, a student notices
an item asks for a priority action during an acute panic attack.
Which cognitive level (Bloom’s) best describes the task required
to choose the best answer?
A. Remembering
B. Understanding
C. Applying
D. Analyzing
Correct answer: C
Rationale — Correct: Selecting a priority action requires
applying knowledge to a patient situation—Bloom’s "Applying"
level.
Rationale — Incorrect:
A. Remembering is simple recall, insufficient for prioritization.
B. Understanding is comprehension but not action selection.
D. Analyzing may be involved but primary task is applying
interventions.
Teaching point: Priority items usually test application of
knowledge to clinical situations.
Citation: Curtis, C. M., & Fegley, A. B. (2023). Psychiatric Mental
Health Nursing Success: NCLEX-Style Q&A Review (5th ed.).
3
Reference: Unit — Critical Thinking and Clinical Judgment
Related to Test Taking
Stem: A student faces a multiple-response NGN item that asks
, which findings indicate acute mania. The student is unsure how
many options to select. Which strategy aligns with the Race
Model for approaching this question?
A. Read all options first, then race to pick the first two that look
correct.
B. Recall defining features of mania, then match each option to
those features.
C. Choose options that appear in at least two psychiatric
textbooks.
D. Pick fewer options to avoid losing points for incorrect
responses.
Correct answer: B
Rationale — Correct: The Race Model emphasizes recall and
matching clinical features to options—systematic recognition,
not guessing.
Rationale — Incorrect:
A. Rushing risks missing correct combinations.
C. Textbook frequency is irrelevant to item-level feature
matching.
D. NGN multiple-response requires accurate selection;
conservative guessing isn’t reliable.
Teaching point: Recall defining features, then match each
option carefully.
Citation: Curtis, C. M., & Fegley, A. B. (2023). Psychiatric Mental
Health Nursing Success: NCLEX-Style Q&A Review (5th ed.).
SUCCESS
NCLEX-STYLE Q&A REVIEW
5TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)CATHERINE MELFI
CURTIS; AUDRA BAKER FEGLEY
TEST BANK
1
Reference: Unit — Critical Thinking and Clinical Judgment
Related to Test Taking
Stem: A student encounters an NCLEX-style item requiring
selection of the most appropriate therapeutic response to a
suicidal statement. The student feels anxious and recalls the
CJMM steps. Which first action best reflects correct use of the
CJMM when approaching this item?
A. Choose the option that seems most empathetic.
,B. Identify the primary client problem and immediate safety
risk.
C. Eliminate two obviously wrong answers and pick between
the remaining.
D. Select the response that aligns with your past clinical
experience.
Correct answer: B
Rationale — Correct: Identifying the primary problem and
safety risk follows CJMM—recognize and prioritize safety before
selecting interventions. This frames the clinical judgment
process.
Rationale — Incorrect:
A. Empathy matters but must follow problem recognition and
safety prioritization.
C. Test-wise elimination is useful but secondary to clinical
recognition of safety.
D. Personal clinical experience may bias decisions and might not
match the item’s intent.
Teaching point: Always identify the client problem and
immediate safety risk first.
Citation: Curtis, C. M., & Fegley, A. B. (2023). Psychiatric Mental
Health Nursing Success: NCLEX-Style Q&A Review (5th ed.).
2
Reference: Unit — Critical Thinking and Clinical Judgment
Related to Test Taking
,Stem: While practicing NGN case scenarios, a student notices
an item asks for a priority action during an acute panic attack.
Which cognitive level (Bloom’s) best describes the task required
to choose the best answer?
A. Remembering
B. Understanding
C. Applying
D. Analyzing
Correct answer: C
Rationale — Correct: Selecting a priority action requires
applying knowledge to a patient situation—Bloom’s "Applying"
level.
Rationale — Incorrect:
A. Remembering is simple recall, insufficient for prioritization.
B. Understanding is comprehension but not action selection.
D. Analyzing may be involved but primary task is applying
interventions.
Teaching point: Priority items usually test application of
knowledge to clinical situations.
Citation: Curtis, C. M., & Fegley, A. B. (2023). Psychiatric Mental
Health Nursing Success: NCLEX-Style Q&A Review (5th ed.).
3
Reference: Unit — Critical Thinking and Clinical Judgment
Related to Test Taking
Stem: A student faces a multiple-response NGN item that asks
, which findings indicate acute mania. The student is unsure how
many options to select. Which strategy aligns with the Race
Model for approaching this question?
A. Read all options first, then race to pick the first two that look
correct.
B. Recall defining features of mania, then match each option to
those features.
C. Choose options that appear in at least two psychiatric
textbooks.
D. Pick fewer options to avoid losing points for incorrect
responses.
Correct answer: B
Rationale — Correct: The Race Model emphasizes recall and
matching clinical features to options—systematic recognition,
not guessing.
Rationale — Incorrect:
A. Rushing risks missing correct combinations.
C. Textbook frequency is irrelevant to item-level feature
matching.
D. NGN multiple-response requires accurate selection;
conservative guessing isn’t reliable.
Teaching point: Recall defining features, then match each
option carefully.
Citation: Curtis, C. M., & Fegley, A. B. (2023). Psychiatric Mental
Health Nursing Success: NCLEX-Style Q&A Review (5th ed.).
