NUR 180 Final Exam 2026/2027 | 101 Questions & Correct Answers | Mental Health, Psychiatric Nursing, Psych Meds & Patient Safety

This NUR 180 Final Exam Review 2026/2027 contains 101 exam questions with correct answers across 14 pages, providing a focused and comprehensive review of mental health and psychiatric nursing. The material covers schizophrenia, depressive disorders, anxiety and panic disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), personality disorders, substance use and withdrawal, eating disorders, suicide assessment, psychiatric medications, therapeutic communication, patient safety, legal and ethical nursing responsibilities, cultural and spiritual care, grief, end-of-life care, and abuse recognition. The document identifies NUR 180 as the course code but does not name a university, so no unsupported institution has been added. A major portion of the review focuses on schizophrenia and psychotic disorders, including hallucinations, delusions, loose associations, catatonia, positive and negative symptoms, and therapeutic responses to altered thought content. Students are tested on how nurses should respond to clients experiencing delusions without reinforcing the false belief, while simultaneously acknowledging the patient's emotions and maintaining safety. The material distinguishes positive symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions and disorganized speech from negative symptoms including avolition, anhedonia and affective blunting. The document provides extensive preparation in psychopharmacology and medication safety. Questions address lithium therapeutic levels and toxicity, baseline renal and thyroid assessments, nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, valproic acid monitoring, SSRIs such as fluoxetine and sertraline, MAOIs such as phenelzine, benzodiazepines, buspirone, clozapine, olanzapine and first-generation antipsychotics. High-priority adverse effects and emergencies include Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS), extrapyramidal symptoms, acute dystonia, akathisia, tardive dyskinesia, metabolic effects, hypertensive crisis and lithium toxicity. Another important section addresses depression, suicide prevention, anxiety and panic disorders. Students review major depressive disorder, persistent depressive disorder, anhedonia, vegetative symptoms and therapeutic communication with depressed clients. Suicide-related questions emphasize direct assessment of suicidal plans and means, recognition of high-risk situations and immediate safety assessment. Panic disorder material addresses recurrent unexpected panic attacks, severe anxiety, hyperventilation, remaining with the patient, reassurance and appropriate breathing strategies. The resource also examines personality disorders and behavioral management, including borderline, antisocial, narcissistic, histrionic and schizoid personality disorders as well as Cluster B and Cluster C characteristics. Nursing interventions emphasize consistent boundaries, neutral communication, safety precautions and appropriate limit-setting. OCD questions cover compulsive behaviors, anxiety associated with rituals and nursing strategies that initially accommodate rituals while working toward improved functioning. A substantial portion is devoted to substance use disorders, intoxication and withdrawal. The review includes alcohol withdrawal seizures, delirium tremens, Wernicke-Korsakoff prevention with thiamine, benzodiazepines used during acute alcohol withdrawal, opioid overdose, naloxone, opioid withdrawal manifestations, the Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale (COWS) and naltrexone for reducing alcohol cravings. These questions emphasize recognition of potentially life-threatening complications and priority nursing interventions. Students also review eating disorders, particularly anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Covered concepts include refeeding syndrome, very low BMI, nutritional rehabilitation, discharge readiness, Russell's sign, dental erosion, parotid enlargement and fluoxetine use in bulimia. The questions integrate physical assessment findings with medication knowledge and nursing priorities. The final exam material extends beyond psychiatric diagnoses to legal, ethical, cultural and spiritual nursing care. Topics include patient autonomy, refusal of medication and blood transfusions, involuntary admission, legally appropriate documentation, mandatory reporting of suspected elder abuse, domestic violence screening, the FICA spiritual assessment framework, religious practices, cultural assessment and therapeutic milieu management. Grief and end-of-life questions additionally address the Kübler-Ross stages, hospice concepts, chaplain referrals and physical signs associated with imminent death. The content is consistent with major subject areas taught in undergraduate psychiatric-mental health nursing, particularly therapeutic communication, psychiatric disorders, psychopharmacology, crisis intervention, safety and culturally responsive care. A suitable academic reference for these areas is Varcarolis' Foundations of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing: A Clinical Approach, a standard psychiatric nursing text covering evidence-based nursing interventions, mental health disorders, psychopharmacology and therapeutic nurse-patient relationships. Relevant students: This document is particularly relevant for NUR 180 students, Mental Health Nursing students, Psychiatric Nursing students, ADN students, BSN students, RN nursing students, practical nursing students, nursing students preparing for psychiatric clinical examinations, and students reviewing mental health concepts for comprehensive nursing finals or NCLEX-style assessments. Academic Reference Halter, M. J. Varcarolis' Foundations of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing: A Clinical Approach. Elsevier. Keywords NUR 180 final exam, NUR 180 questions and answers, NUR 180 exam 2026, NUR 180 exam 2027, NUR 180 study guide, mental health nursing final exam, psychiatric nursing final exam, psychiatric nursing questions and answers, mental health exam questions, psych nursing study guide, schizophrenia nursing, positive and negative symptoms, therapeutic communication, major depressive disorder, suicide assessment, suicide prevention nursing, anxiety disorders, panic disorder, OCD nursing, personality disorders, borderline personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, psychiatric medications, psychopharmacology nursing, lithium therapeutic level, lithium toxicity, antipsychotic medications, Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome, extrapyramidal symptoms, tardive dyskinesia, clozapine ANC, olanzapine side effects, SSRI side effects, MAOI hypertensive crisis, alcohol withdrawal, delirium tremens, opioid overdose, naloxone, COWS assessment, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, refeeding syndrome, ECT nursing, patient autonomy, psychiatric patient safety, therapeutic milieu, elder abuse nursing, domestic violence screening, spiritual assessment, FICA assessment, grief and loss nursing, NCLEX mental health review, psychiatric nursing exam preparation