.NU 160 Mental Health Nursing
Concepts Exam 1 V2: Comprehensive
Question & Answer Review (2026–
2027 Edition)
1.Case Management in Community Mental Health
Question: Of the skills listed below, which is of primary importance to a
nurse working as a member of a community mental health team that is
striving to use a seamless continuum of care?
A. Patients' rights advocacy
B. Physical assessment skills
C. Case management
D. Diagnostic ability
Answer: C. Case management
Rationale: Case management is essential for coordinating care across the
continuum, ensuring patients receive appropriate services and resources
as they transition between care settings. This skill is fundamental to
achieving seamless care in community mental health .
2. Therapeutic Communication - Responding to Emotional
Pain
Question: The nurse perceives that a patient is experiencing emotional
pain. The remark that would be most therapeutic is:
A. "Please tell me what you would like me to do to help you through
this."
,B. "I hear how painful this is for you. I would like to help you deal with
the situation."
C. "I don't think this is as serious as you believe it is."
D. "I'm so very sorry that this has happened to you, adding to your
burdens."
Answer: B. "I hear how painful this is for you. I would like to help
you deal with the situation."
Rationale: This response demonstrates empathy, validation, and
therapeutic presence. It acknowledges the patient's feelings while
offering support without minimizing or dismissing their experience .
3. Involuntary Commitment Criteria
Question: Which patient should be considered for involuntary
commitment for psychiatric treatment? The patient who:
A. Threatens to harm self and others
B. Is noncompliant with the treatment regimen
C. Fraudulently files for bankruptcy
D. Sold and distributed illegal drugs
Answer: A. Threatens to harm self and others
Rationale: Involuntary commitment is legally justified when a patient
poses a danger to self or others. This is the primary criterion for
emergency psychiatric commitment .
4. Emergency Commitment and Patient Rights
Question: A client hospitalized under emergency commitment is being
treated for chronic depression with suicidal ideation. After 3 days, the
client demands to be released. The nurse should intervene by:
,A. Restricting the client to her room
B. Allowing the client to leave the unit
C. Informing the client that she must stay 15 days
D. Offering information that the client can speak to a lawyer
Answer: D. Offering information that the client can speak to a
lawyer
Rationale: Patients under emergency commitment retain legal rights,
including the right to legal counsel. The nurse should inform the patient
of their rights while continuing to provide care and monitoring .
5. Medication Dosage Calculation
Question: Order: Biaxin 75 mg p.o. q12h. Available: 125 mg per 5 ml.
How many ml will you administer?
Answer: 3 ml
Calculation: (75 mg ÷ 125 mg) × 5 ml = 0.6 × 5 = 3 ml
6. Mental Status Examination - Delusions
Question: During the mental status examination, the patient tells the
nurse, "I am God's special messenger sent to show the world the cure for
cancer." The nurse should assess the patient's statement as indicating
the presence of:
A. Hypervigilance
B. A phobia
C. A delusion
D. Loose associations
Answer: C. A delusion
, Rationale: A delusion is a fixed, false belief that is not based in reality.
The patient's belief that they are a divine messenger with special powers
is a classic example of a grandiose delusion .
7. Mental Status Examination - Mood Assessment
Question: During the performance of the mental status examination, the
data the nurse should examine as being most pertinent for determining
the patient's mood is (are):
A. Degree of cooperation or resistance to the interview
B. Facial expression and statements about feelings
C. Answers to judgment questions
D. Observations about sensorium
Answer: B. Facial expression and statements about feelings
Rationale: Mood is assessed through the patient's verbal expressions of
feeling and observable nonverbal cues such as facial expression, posture,
and affect. These provide the most direct evidence of mood state .
8. Seclusion and Restraint Interventions (Select All That
Apply)
Question: Which interventions should be selected for inclusion in the
care plan of a patient being restrained or secluded? (Select All That
Apply)
A. Seclusion instituted when verbal intervention ineffective in stopping
assaultive behavior
B. Constant observation in effect while patient secluded
C. Medication administered PRN when patient's hallucinations noted
D. Written medical order obtained
Concepts Exam 1 V2: Comprehensive
Question & Answer Review (2026–
2027 Edition)
1.Case Management in Community Mental Health
Question: Of the skills listed below, which is of primary importance to a
nurse working as a member of a community mental health team that is
striving to use a seamless continuum of care?
A. Patients' rights advocacy
B. Physical assessment skills
C. Case management
D. Diagnostic ability
Answer: C. Case management
Rationale: Case management is essential for coordinating care across the
continuum, ensuring patients receive appropriate services and resources
as they transition between care settings. This skill is fundamental to
achieving seamless care in community mental health .
2. Therapeutic Communication - Responding to Emotional
Pain
Question: The nurse perceives that a patient is experiencing emotional
pain. The remark that would be most therapeutic is:
A. "Please tell me what you would like me to do to help you through
this."
,B. "I hear how painful this is for you. I would like to help you deal with
the situation."
C. "I don't think this is as serious as you believe it is."
D. "I'm so very sorry that this has happened to you, adding to your
burdens."
Answer: B. "I hear how painful this is for you. I would like to help
you deal with the situation."
Rationale: This response demonstrates empathy, validation, and
therapeutic presence. It acknowledges the patient's feelings while
offering support without minimizing or dismissing their experience .
3. Involuntary Commitment Criteria
Question: Which patient should be considered for involuntary
commitment for psychiatric treatment? The patient who:
A. Threatens to harm self and others
B. Is noncompliant with the treatment regimen
C. Fraudulently files for bankruptcy
D. Sold and distributed illegal drugs
Answer: A. Threatens to harm self and others
Rationale: Involuntary commitment is legally justified when a patient
poses a danger to self or others. This is the primary criterion for
emergency psychiatric commitment .
4. Emergency Commitment and Patient Rights
Question: A client hospitalized under emergency commitment is being
treated for chronic depression with suicidal ideation. After 3 days, the
client demands to be released. The nurse should intervene by:
,A. Restricting the client to her room
B. Allowing the client to leave the unit
C. Informing the client that she must stay 15 days
D. Offering information that the client can speak to a lawyer
Answer: D. Offering information that the client can speak to a
lawyer
Rationale: Patients under emergency commitment retain legal rights,
including the right to legal counsel. The nurse should inform the patient
of their rights while continuing to provide care and monitoring .
5. Medication Dosage Calculation
Question: Order: Biaxin 75 mg p.o. q12h. Available: 125 mg per 5 ml.
How many ml will you administer?
Answer: 3 ml
Calculation: (75 mg ÷ 125 mg) × 5 ml = 0.6 × 5 = 3 ml
6. Mental Status Examination - Delusions
Question: During the mental status examination, the patient tells the
nurse, "I am God's special messenger sent to show the world the cure for
cancer." The nurse should assess the patient's statement as indicating
the presence of:
A. Hypervigilance
B. A phobia
C. A delusion
D. Loose associations
Answer: C. A delusion
, Rationale: A delusion is a fixed, false belief that is not based in reality.
The patient's belief that they are a divine messenger with special powers
is a classic example of a grandiose delusion .
7. Mental Status Examination - Mood Assessment
Question: During the performance of the mental status examination, the
data the nurse should examine as being most pertinent for determining
the patient's mood is (are):
A. Degree of cooperation or resistance to the interview
B. Facial expression and statements about feelings
C. Answers to judgment questions
D. Observations about sensorium
Answer: B. Facial expression and statements about feelings
Rationale: Mood is assessed through the patient's verbal expressions of
feeling and observable nonverbal cues such as facial expression, posture,
and affect. These provide the most direct evidence of mood state .
8. Seclusion and Restraint Interventions (Select All That
Apply)
Question: Which interventions should be selected for inclusion in the
care plan of a patient being restrained or secluded? (Select All That
Apply)
A. Seclusion instituted when verbal intervention ineffective in stopping
assaultive behavior
B. Constant observation in effect while patient secluded
C. Medication administered PRN when patient's hallucinations noted
D. Written medical order obtained
