NUR 162 FINAL EXAM | PRACTICE QUESTIONS & ANSWERS | COMPREHENSIVE NURSING
STUDY GUIDE 2026/2027
mood/affective disorders - ANS ✔✔Pervasive alterations in emotions manifested by depression,
mania, or both
Interference with life; long-term sadness, agitation, or elation
Etiology of Mood Disorders - ANS ✔✔Neurotransmitters: Decline in serotonin and
norepinephrine
Cognitive: Negative thoughts and rumination (can't let something go) + negative self-talk
Social Skills: Lack of interpersonal skills
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) - ANS ✔✔last at least 2 years
symptoms
-depressed mood or loss of pleasure in nearly all activities
-changes in eating
hypersomnia/insomnia
-impaired concentration
-inability to cope
pessimistic thinking
MAOI, SSRIs, atypical
,mania - ANS ✔✔distinct period during which mood is abnormally and persistently elevated,
expansive, or irritable. Typically, this period lasts about 1 week
S/S of mania - ANS ✔✔-inflated self-esteem or grandiosity;
-decreased sleep
-excessive and pressured speech (unrelenting, rapid, often loud talking without pauses)
-flight of ideas (racing, often unconnected, thoughts)
-distractibility; increased activity or psychomotor agitation
-excessive involvement in pleasure-seeking or risk-taking activities with a high potential for
painful consequences.
Hypomania - ANS ✔✔period of abnormally and persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable
mood and some other milder symptoms of mania.
do not impair the person's ability to function
no psychotic features (delusions/hallucinations)
SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) - ANS ✔✔fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine,
citalopram, escitalopram
blocks reuptake of serotonin
Common SE when resolved
insomnia decreases in 3 to 4 days, appetite returns to a more normal state in 5 to 7 days, and
energy returns in 4
,Fluoxetine /Prozac-SSRI - ANS ✔✔Monitor for rash, hives, tremor, insomnia, headache, anxiety,
drowsiness, nausea, loss of appetite; avoid alcohol, slightly higher rate of mild agitation
-Monitor for hyponatremia.
Sertraline (Zoloft) SSRI - ANS ✔✔SE
Dizziness, sedation, tremor, sexual dysfunction, diarrhea, dry mouth, N/V, diarrhea, headache,
insomnia, loss of appetite, and sweating
-avoid alcohol, manic episode (can worsen)
-Monitor hyponatremia
Paroxetine (Paxil) SSRI - ANS ✔✔SE
Dizziness, sedation, insomnia weakness, fatigue, dry mouth, loss of appetite, N/V, sexual
dysfunction, and sweating
-avoid alcohol
-Administer with food.
Citalopram (Celexa) SSRI - ANS ✔✔SE
Drowsiness, insomnia, N/V, weight gain
-Monitor for hyponatremia.
-Administer with food.
-Administer the dose at 6 p.m. or later.
, Escitalopram (Lexapro) SSRI - ANS ✔✔Drowsiness, dizziness, weight gain, sexual dysfunction,
restlessness, dry mouth, headache, nausea, and diarrhea
-Check orthostatic blood pressure.
-Administer with food.
TCAs (tricyclic antidepressants) - ANS ✔✔Amitriptyline (Elavil), imipamine, disipramine,
nortriptlyine, doxepin
blocks activity of NE and serotonin or increasing sensitivity of postsynaptic receptor site
They relieve symptoms of hopelessness, helplessness, anhedonia, inappropriate guilt, suicidal
ideation, and daily mood variations
not for liver impairment or recovery MI
cannot be given with MAOIs
take4- 6 weeks for full effect but 10-14 days for some effect
common SE
dry mouth, orthostatic hypotension, tachycardia, insomnia, constipation, weight gain
Atypical Antidepressants - ANS ✔✔Used when the client has an inadequate response to or side
effects from SSRIs
inhibit reuptake of NE, serotonin and dopamine
monitor kidney and liver function
STUDY GUIDE 2026/2027
mood/affective disorders - ANS ✔✔Pervasive alterations in emotions manifested by depression,
mania, or both
Interference with life; long-term sadness, agitation, or elation
Etiology of Mood Disorders - ANS ✔✔Neurotransmitters: Decline in serotonin and
norepinephrine
Cognitive: Negative thoughts and rumination (can't let something go) + negative self-talk
Social Skills: Lack of interpersonal skills
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) - ANS ✔✔last at least 2 years
symptoms
-depressed mood or loss of pleasure in nearly all activities
-changes in eating
hypersomnia/insomnia
-impaired concentration
-inability to cope
pessimistic thinking
MAOI, SSRIs, atypical
,mania - ANS ✔✔distinct period during which mood is abnormally and persistently elevated,
expansive, or irritable. Typically, this period lasts about 1 week
S/S of mania - ANS ✔✔-inflated self-esteem or grandiosity;
-decreased sleep
-excessive and pressured speech (unrelenting, rapid, often loud talking without pauses)
-flight of ideas (racing, often unconnected, thoughts)
-distractibility; increased activity or psychomotor agitation
-excessive involvement in pleasure-seeking or risk-taking activities with a high potential for
painful consequences.
Hypomania - ANS ✔✔period of abnormally and persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable
mood and some other milder symptoms of mania.
do not impair the person's ability to function
no psychotic features (delusions/hallucinations)
SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) - ANS ✔✔fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine,
citalopram, escitalopram
blocks reuptake of serotonin
Common SE when resolved
insomnia decreases in 3 to 4 days, appetite returns to a more normal state in 5 to 7 days, and
energy returns in 4
,Fluoxetine /Prozac-SSRI - ANS ✔✔Monitor for rash, hives, tremor, insomnia, headache, anxiety,
drowsiness, nausea, loss of appetite; avoid alcohol, slightly higher rate of mild agitation
-Monitor for hyponatremia.
Sertraline (Zoloft) SSRI - ANS ✔✔SE
Dizziness, sedation, tremor, sexual dysfunction, diarrhea, dry mouth, N/V, diarrhea, headache,
insomnia, loss of appetite, and sweating
-avoid alcohol, manic episode (can worsen)
-Monitor hyponatremia
Paroxetine (Paxil) SSRI - ANS ✔✔SE
Dizziness, sedation, insomnia weakness, fatigue, dry mouth, loss of appetite, N/V, sexual
dysfunction, and sweating
-avoid alcohol
-Administer with food.
Citalopram (Celexa) SSRI - ANS ✔✔SE
Drowsiness, insomnia, N/V, weight gain
-Monitor for hyponatremia.
-Administer with food.
-Administer the dose at 6 p.m. or later.
, Escitalopram (Lexapro) SSRI - ANS ✔✔Drowsiness, dizziness, weight gain, sexual dysfunction,
restlessness, dry mouth, headache, nausea, and diarrhea
-Check orthostatic blood pressure.
-Administer with food.
TCAs (tricyclic antidepressants) - ANS ✔✔Amitriptyline (Elavil), imipamine, disipramine,
nortriptlyine, doxepin
blocks activity of NE and serotonin or increasing sensitivity of postsynaptic receptor site
They relieve symptoms of hopelessness, helplessness, anhedonia, inappropriate guilt, suicidal
ideation, and daily mood variations
not for liver impairment or recovery MI
cannot be given with MAOIs
take4- 6 weeks for full effect but 10-14 days for some effect
common SE
dry mouth, orthostatic hypotension, tachycardia, insomnia, constipation, weight gain
Atypical Antidepressants - ANS ✔✔Used when the client has an inadequate response to or side
effects from SSRIs
inhibit reuptake of NE, serotonin and dopamine
monitor kidney and liver function
