ATI Mental Health: Schizophrenia and Psychotic Disorders Exam 2026
|Questions |Answers |Rationales
1. A nurse is assessing a client who has schizophrenia and is exhibiting negative
symptoms. Which of the following findings should the nurse expect?
A. Auditory hallucinations
B. Flat affect
C. Delusions of grandeur
D. Clang associations
Answer: B
Rationale: Negative symptoms refer to the absence of things that should be present. Flat
affect (lack of facial expression) is a classic negative symptom, whereas hallucinations and
delusions are positive symptoms.
2. A client tells the nurse, ‘The FBI has planted a microphone in my tooth to
listen to my thoughts.’ The nurse should identify this as which type of delusion?
A. Somatic delusion
B. Grandiose delusion
C. Persecutory delusion
D. Jealous delusion
Answer: C
Rationale: Persecutory delusions involve the belief that one is being singled out for harm
by others, such as being hunted by the FBI.
,3. A nurse is caring for a client who is experiencing auditory hallucinations.
Which of the following is an appropriate nursing action?
A. Tell the client that the voices are not real
B. Ask the client, ‘What are the voices telling you?’
C. Argue with the client about the reality of the voices
D. Leave the client alone to allow them to process the voices
Answer: B
Rationale: The nurse should ask directly about the hallucinations to assess for command
hallucinations, which can pose a safety risk to the client or others.
4. A client with schizophrenia uses words that rhyme but have no logical
connection. The nurse should document this as:
A. Clang association
B. Echolalia
C. Neologisms
D. Word salad
Answer: A
Rationale: Clang association is the meaningless rhyming of words, often in a forceful
manner.
5. Which of the following findings is an example of an alteration in perception?
A. Flight of ideas
B. Echopraxia
C. Auditory hallucinations
D. Magical thinking
Answer: C
Rationale: Alterations in perception include hallucinations, which are sensory perceptions
that do not have any apparent external stimulus.
, 6. A client is prescribed Clozapine for treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Which
laboratory value is the priority for the nurse to monitor?
A. Serum creatinine
B. Liver enzymes
C. Serum potassium
D. White blood cell (WBC) count
Answer: D
Rationale: Clozapine carries a high risk for agranulocytosis; therefore, monitoring the
WBC count and absolute neutrophil count (ANC) is essential.
7. A nurse is observing a client with schizophrenia who is mimicking the
movements of another person. This behavior is known as:
A. Echolalia
B. Waxy flexibility
C. Echopraxia
D. Akathisia
Answer: C
Rationale: Echopraxia is the purposeful imitation of movements made by others.
8. A nurse is assessing a client for the presence of the ‘A’s’ of schizophrenia.
Which of the following is NOT one of the negative symptoms?
A. Avolition
B. Akathesia
C. Anhedonia
D. Alogia
Answer: B
Rationale: Akathisia is an extrapyramidal side effect (EPS) characterized by restlessness,
not a negative symptom of schizophrenia. The negative symptoms include Affect, Alogia,
Avolition, Anhedonia, and Anergia.
|Questions |Answers |Rationales
1. A nurse is assessing a client who has schizophrenia and is exhibiting negative
symptoms. Which of the following findings should the nurse expect?
A. Auditory hallucinations
B. Flat affect
C. Delusions of grandeur
D. Clang associations
Answer: B
Rationale: Negative symptoms refer to the absence of things that should be present. Flat
affect (lack of facial expression) is a classic negative symptom, whereas hallucinations and
delusions are positive symptoms.
2. A client tells the nurse, ‘The FBI has planted a microphone in my tooth to
listen to my thoughts.’ The nurse should identify this as which type of delusion?
A. Somatic delusion
B. Grandiose delusion
C. Persecutory delusion
D. Jealous delusion
Answer: C
Rationale: Persecutory delusions involve the belief that one is being singled out for harm
by others, such as being hunted by the FBI.
,3. A nurse is caring for a client who is experiencing auditory hallucinations.
Which of the following is an appropriate nursing action?
A. Tell the client that the voices are not real
B. Ask the client, ‘What are the voices telling you?’
C. Argue with the client about the reality of the voices
D. Leave the client alone to allow them to process the voices
Answer: B
Rationale: The nurse should ask directly about the hallucinations to assess for command
hallucinations, which can pose a safety risk to the client or others.
4. A client with schizophrenia uses words that rhyme but have no logical
connection. The nurse should document this as:
A. Clang association
B. Echolalia
C. Neologisms
D. Word salad
Answer: A
Rationale: Clang association is the meaningless rhyming of words, often in a forceful
manner.
5. Which of the following findings is an example of an alteration in perception?
A. Flight of ideas
B. Echopraxia
C. Auditory hallucinations
D. Magical thinking
Answer: C
Rationale: Alterations in perception include hallucinations, which are sensory perceptions
that do not have any apparent external stimulus.
, 6. A client is prescribed Clozapine for treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Which
laboratory value is the priority for the nurse to monitor?
A. Serum creatinine
B. Liver enzymes
C. Serum potassium
D. White blood cell (WBC) count
Answer: D
Rationale: Clozapine carries a high risk for agranulocytosis; therefore, monitoring the
WBC count and absolute neutrophil count (ANC) is essential.
7. A nurse is observing a client with schizophrenia who is mimicking the
movements of another person. This behavior is known as:
A. Echolalia
B. Waxy flexibility
C. Echopraxia
D. Akathisia
Answer: C
Rationale: Echopraxia is the purposeful imitation of movements made by others.
8. A nurse is assessing a client for the presence of the ‘A’s’ of schizophrenia.
Which of the following is NOT one of the negative symptoms?
A. Avolition
B. Akathesia
C. Anhedonia
D. Alogia
Answer: B
Rationale: Akathisia is an extrapyramidal side effect (EPS) characterized by restlessness,
not a negative symptom of schizophrenia. The negative symptoms include Affect, Alogia,
Avolition, Anhedonia, and Anergia.
