ESSENTIAL OF PSYCHIATRIC MENTA HEALTH
NURSING 4TH EDITION VALCAROLIS TEST BANK
QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS GREDED A+
1. Which is the primary goal of psychiatric mental health
nursing?
A. Administer medications
B. Promote mental health and prevent illness
C. Diagnose mental disorders
D. Provide psychotherapy only
Rationale: Psychiatric nursing focuses broadly on mental health
promotion, prevention, and care—not just treatment.
Answer: B. Promote mental health and prevent illness
2. What is the nurse’s priority when establishing a therapeutic
relationship?
A. Giving advice
B. Building trust
C. Teaching coping skills
D. Documenting behavior
Rationale: Trust is the foundation of any therapeutic nurse–
patient relationship.
Answer: B. Building trust
,3. Which communication technique is therapeutic?
A. “Why did you do that?”
B. “Everything will be okay.”
C. “Tell me more about how you feel.”
D. “You shouldn’t feel that way.”
Rationale: Open-ended questions encourage expression of
feelings.
Answer: C. “Tell me more about how you feel.”
4. A patient is experiencing hallucinations. What is the best
nursing response?
A. “That is not real.”
B. “I believe you.”
C. “I do not see anything, but I understand it feels real to you.”
D. Ignore the patient
Rationale: Acknowledges feelings without reinforcing
hallucination.
Answer: C. “I do not see anything, but I understand it feels real
to you.”
5. Which neurotransmitter is primarily associated with mood
regulation?
,A. Dopamine
B. Serotonin
C. Acetylcholine
D. GABA
Rationale: Serotonin plays a key role in mood stabilization.
Answer: B. Serotonin
6. What is the priority intervention for a suicidal patient?
A. Encourage journaling
B. Provide group therapy
C. Ensure safety
D. Offer medication
Rationale: Safety is always the first priority.
Answer: C. Ensure safety
7. Which defense mechanism involves refusing to accept
reality?
A. Projection
B. Denial
C. Regression
D. Displacement
Rationale: Denial blocks external reality.
Answer: B. Denial
, 8. A patient with anxiety is hyperventilating. What should the
nurse do first?
A. Administer medication
B. Encourage slow breathing
C. Leave the patient alone
D. Call the doctor
Rationale: Breathing control reduces anxiety symptoms
immediately.
Answer: B. Encourage slow breathing
9. What is the purpose of a mental status examination?
A. Diagnose disease
B. Assess current mental functioning
C. Prescribe treatment
D. Evaluate family history
Rationale: MSE evaluates cognitive, emotional, and behavioral
functioning.
Answer: B. Assess current mental functioning
10. Which symptom is associated with depression?
A. Euphoria
B. Insomnia
C. Hyperactivity
D. Delusions
NURSING 4TH EDITION VALCAROLIS TEST BANK
QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS GREDED A+
1. Which is the primary goal of psychiatric mental health
nursing?
A. Administer medications
B. Promote mental health and prevent illness
C. Diagnose mental disorders
D. Provide psychotherapy only
Rationale: Psychiatric nursing focuses broadly on mental health
promotion, prevention, and care—not just treatment.
Answer: B. Promote mental health and prevent illness
2. What is the nurse’s priority when establishing a therapeutic
relationship?
A. Giving advice
B. Building trust
C. Teaching coping skills
D. Documenting behavior
Rationale: Trust is the foundation of any therapeutic nurse–
patient relationship.
Answer: B. Building trust
,3. Which communication technique is therapeutic?
A. “Why did you do that?”
B. “Everything will be okay.”
C. “Tell me more about how you feel.”
D. “You shouldn’t feel that way.”
Rationale: Open-ended questions encourage expression of
feelings.
Answer: C. “Tell me more about how you feel.”
4. A patient is experiencing hallucinations. What is the best
nursing response?
A. “That is not real.”
B. “I believe you.”
C. “I do not see anything, but I understand it feels real to you.”
D. Ignore the patient
Rationale: Acknowledges feelings without reinforcing
hallucination.
Answer: C. “I do not see anything, but I understand it feels real
to you.”
5. Which neurotransmitter is primarily associated with mood
regulation?
,A. Dopamine
B. Serotonin
C. Acetylcholine
D. GABA
Rationale: Serotonin plays a key role in mood stabilization.
Answer: B. Serotonin
6. What is the priority intervention for a suicidal patient?
A. Encourage journaling
B. Provide group therapy
C. Ensure safety
D. Offer medication
Rationale: Safety is always the first priority.
Answer: C. Ensure safety
7. Which defense mechanism involves refusing to accept
reality?
A. Projection
B. Denial
C. Regression
D. Displacement
Rationale: Denial blocks external reality.
Answer: B. Denial
, 8. A patient with anxiety is hyperventilating. What should the
nurse do first?
A. Administer medication
B. Encourage slow breathing
C. Leave the patient alone
D. Call the doctor
Rationale: Breathing control reduces anxiety symptoms
immediately.
Answer: B. Encourage slow breathing
9. What is the purpose of a mental status examination?
A. Diagnose disease
B. Assess current mental functioning
C. Prescribe treatment
D. Evaluate family history
Rationale: MSE evaluates cognitive, emotional, and behavioral
functioning.
Answer: B. Assess current mental functioning
10. Which symptom is associated with depression?
A. Euphoria
B. Insomnia
C. Hyperactivity
D. Delusions
