PSYCHIATRIC MENTAL HEALTH NURSING
SUCCESS
NCLEX-STYLE Q&A REVIEW
5TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)CATHERINE MELFI
CURTIS; AUDRA BAKER FEGLEY
TEST BANK
1
Reference: Ch. 1 — Critical Thinking and Clinical Judgment
Related to Test Taking
Stem: A nursing student feels anxious before a timed NCLEX
practice exam and notices racing thoughts that interrupt focus.
The student asks the faculty what immediate strategy will best
reduce anxiety and improve performance. Which action should
the faculty recommend first?
A. Review all lecture notes quickly to refresh content.
,B. Practice deep breathing, ground with senses, then begin the
exam.
C. Skip the first 10 questions to save time for later ones.
D. Consume caffeine and start the exam immediately.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale — Correct: Deep breathing and grounding reduce
physiologic anxiety, improving attention and clinical judgment
during timed tests.
Rationale — Incorrect: A: Cramming increases cognitive load
and heightens anxiety. C: Skipping questions arbitrarily wastes
structure and may increase stress. D: Caffeine can worsen
anxiety and impair focus.
Teaching Point: Use brief relaxation (breathing/grounding) to
lower anxiety before test-taking.
Citation: Curtis, C. M., & Fegley, A. B. (2023). Psychiatric Mental
Health Nursing Success: NCLEX-Style Q&A Review (5th ed.).
2
Reference: Ch. 1 — Critical Thinking and Clinical Judgment
Related to Test Taking
Stem: During a practice NGN-style clinical scenario, a student
repeatedly selects interventions without documenting
rationale. The instructor wants the student to demonstrate
CJMM steps. Which next step best aligns with CJMM?
A. Choose an intervention and immediately execute it.
B. Recognize the problem, analyze cues, prioritize, then respond
,with rationale.
C. Select the first plausible intervention to save time.
D. List as many interventions as possible without prioritization.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale — Correct: The CJMM requires recognition of cues,
analysis, prioritization, and reasoned response with rationale.
Rationale — Incorrect: A & C: Immediate action without
analysis bypasses clinical judgment. D: Quantity without
prioritization fails CJMM.
Teaching Point: Follow recognition → analysis → prioritize →
implement → evaluate.
Citation: Curtis, C. M., & Fegley, A. B. (2023).
3
Reference: Ch. 1 — Critical Thinking and Clinical Judgment
Related to Test Taking
Stem: A student misreads a multiple-choice stem and selects
the technically correct answer for the wrong question. Which
test-taking habit would most directly prevent this error?
A. Skimming the stem quickly to save time.
B. Reading the last sentence (the question) first, then the entire
stem.
C. Choosing answers based on gut feeling.
D. Answering in order without rereading the stem.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale — Correct: Reading the question prompt first focuses
, attention on what is being asked, preventing misreading.
Rationale — Incorrect: A & D: Rushed reading increases
misinterpretation. C: Gut feeling lacks analytic verification.
Teaching Point: Read the question first, then the stem to focus
on the task.
Citation: Curtis, C. M., & Fegley, A. B. (2023).
4
Reference: Ch. 1 — Critical Thinking and Clinical Judgment
Related to Test Taking
Stem: A student encounters a remembering-level item during
practice and is tempted to overthink. Which critical-thinking
strategy is most efficient for remembering-level questions?
A. Apply clinical judgment steps in full.
B. Recall facts quickly and move on.
C. Generate multiple hypotheses before answering.
D. Skip and return later.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale — Correct: Remembering-level questions require
retrieval of factual knowledge; quick, accurate recall is efficient.
Rationale — Incorrect: A & C: Overanalysis wastes time for
recall items. D: Skipping is unnecessary if recall is immediate.
Teaching Point: Use targeted recall for remembering-level
questions.
Citation: Curtis, C. M., & Fegley, A. B. (2023).
SUCCESS
NCLEX-STYLE Q&A REVIEW
5TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)CATHERINE MELFI
CURTIS; AUDRA BAKER FEGLEY
TEST BANK
1
Reference: Ch. 1 — Critical Thinking and Clinical Judgment
Related to Test Taking
Stem: A nursing student feels anxious before a timed NCLEX
practice exam and notices racing thoughts that interrupt focus.
The student asks the faculty what immediate strategy will best
reduce anxiety and improve performance. Which action should
the faculty recommend first?
A. Review all lecture notes quickly to refresh content.
,B. Practice deep breathing, ground with senses, then begin the
exam.
C. Skip the first 10 questions to save time for later ones.
D. Consume caffeine and start the exam immediately.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale — Correct: Deep breathing and grounding reduce
physiologic anxiety, improving attention and clinical judgment
during timed tests.
Rationale — Incorrect: A: Cramming increases cognitive load
and heightens anxiety. C: Skipping questions arbitrarily wastes
structure and may increase stress. D: Caffeine can worsen
anxiety and impair focus.
Teaching Point: Use brief relaxation (breathing/grounding) to
lower anxiety before test-taking.
Citation: Curtis, C. M., & Fegley, A. B. (2023). Psychiatric Mental
Health Nursing Success: NCLEX-Style Q&A Review (5th ed.).
2
Reference: Ch. 1 — Critical Thinking and Clinical Judgment
Related to Test Taking
Stem: During a practice NGN-style clinical scenario, a student
repeatedly selects interventions without documenting
rationale. The instructor wants the student to demonstrate
CJMM steps. Which next step best aligns with CJMM?
A. Choose an intervention and immediately execute it.
B. Recognize the problem, analyze cues, prioritize, then respond
,with rationale.
C. Select the first plausible intervention to save time.
D. List as many interventions as possible without prioritization.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale — Correct: The CJMM requires recognition of cues,
analysis, prioritization, and reasoned response with rationale.
Rationale — Incorrect: A & C: Immediate action without
analysis bypasses clinical judgment. D: Quantity without
prioritization fails CJMM.
Teaching Point: Follow recognition → analysis → prioritize →
implement → evaluate.
Citation: Curtis, C. M., & Fegley, A. B. (2023).
3
Reference: Ch. 1 — Critical Thinking and Clinical Judgment
Related to Test Taking
Stem: A student misreads a multiple-choice stem and selects
the technically correct answer for the wrong question. Which
test-taking habit would most directly prevent this error?
A. Skimming the stem quickly to save time.
B. Reading the last sentence (the question) first, then the entire
stem.
C. Choosing answers based on gut feeling.
D. Answering in order without rereading the stem.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale — Correct: Reading the question prompt first focuses
, attention on what is being asked, preventing misreading.
Rationale — Incorrect: A & D: Rushed reading increases
misinterpretation. C: Gut feeling lacks analytic verification.
Teaching Point: Read the question first, then the stem to focus
on the task.
Citation: Curtis, C. M., & Fegley, A. B. (2023).
4
Reference: Ch. 1 — Critical Thinking and Clinical Judgment
Related to Test Taking
Stem: A student encounters a remembering-level item during
practice and is tempted to overthink. Which critical-thinking
strategy is most efficient for remembering-level questions?
A. Apply clinical judgment steps in full.
B. Recall facts quickly and move on.
C. Generate multiple hypotheses before answering.
D. Skip and return later.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale — Correct: Remembering-level questions require
retrieval of factual knowledge; quick, accurate recall is efficient.
Rationale — Incorrect: A & C: Overanalysis wastes time for
recall items. D: Skipping is unnecessary if recall is immediate.
Teaching Point: Use targeted recall for remembering-level
questions.
Citation: Curtis, C. M., & Fegley, A. B. (2023).
