BSN Module 11: Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing
Exam 2026/2027 UPDATE UPDATED ACTUAL Questions
and CORRECT Answers
1. A nurse is caring for a client with schizophrenia who reports hearing voices.
Which of the following is the best therapeutic response?
A. What are the voices telling you to do?
B. Why do you think the voices are talking to you right now?
C. The voices are just part of your imagination.
D. I do not hear the voices, but I know they are real to you.
Answer: D
Rationale: Acknowledging the client’s experience without validating the hallucination as
reality is the most therapeutic approach.
2. A client is prescribed Lithium Carbonate for Bipolar Disorder. Which
laboratory value is most important for the nurse to monitor?
A. Serum Glucose
B. Serum Sodium
C. Prothrombin Time
D. Hemoglobin A1c
Answer: B
Rationale: Lithium is a salt, and low sodium levels can lead to lithium toxicity by
decreasing renal excretion.
,3. The nurse is assessing a client for potential suicide risk. Which of the
following statements by the client requires the most immediate intervention?
A. I have been feeling very sad for a long time.
B. I think my family would be better off without me.
C. I don’t feel like eating anything today.
D. I have a gun and I am going to use it tonight.
Answer: D
Rationale: This statement indicates a specific plan, access to a lethal method, and a defined
timeframe, representing the highest risk.
4. A client is experiencing a panic attack. What should be the nurse’s first
action?
A. Ask the client to explain what triggered the attack.
B. Stay with the client and maintain a calm demeanor.
C. Administer an immediate dose of an antidepressant.
D. Encourage the client to join a group therapy session.
Answer: B
Rationale: Safety and presence are priorities during a panic attack; staying with the client
reduces fear and ensures safety.
5. Which defense mechanism is a client using when they claim their spouse is
the one who is angry, when in fact the client is the one feeling anger?
A. Rationalization
B. Displacement
C. Projection
D. Sublimation
Answer: C
Rationale: Projection involves attributing one’s own unacceptable feelings or impulses to
another person.
, 6. A client with Anorexia Nervosa is being admitted to the unit. What is the
priority nursing diagnosis?
A. Disturbed Body Image
B. Imbalanced Nutrition: Less than body requirements
C. Low Self-Esteem
D. Social Isolation
Answer: B
Rationale: Physiological needs and safety take priority; severe malnutrition can lead to
life-threatening complications.
7. Which of the following is a negative symptom of Schizophrenia?
A. Hallucinations
B. Delusions
C. Disorganized speech
D. Flat affect
Answer: D
Rationale: Negative symptoms refer to a loss or absence of normal function, such as flat
affect, apathy, or social withdrawal.
8. A nurse is teaching a client who is taking a Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor
(MAOI). Which food should the nurse instruct the client to avoid?
A. Aged cheddar cheese
B. Fresh apples
C. Grilled chicken breast
D. Steamed broccoli
Answer: A
Rationale: MAOIs interact with tyramine-rich foods (like aged cheeses) to cause a
hypertensive crisis.
Exam 2026/2027 UPDATE UPDATED ACTUAL Questions
and CORRECT Answers
1. A nurse is caring for a client with schizophrenia who reports hearing voices.
Which of the following is the best therapeutic response?
A. What are the voices telling you to do?
B. Why do you think the voices are talking to you right now?
C. The voices are just part of your imagination.
D. I do not hear the voices, but I know they are real to you.
Answer: D
Rationale: Acknowledging the client’s experience without validating the hallucination as
reality is the most therapeutic approach.
2. A client is prescribed Lithium Carbonate for Bipolar Disorder. Which
laboratory value is most important for the nurse to monitor?
A. Serum Glucose
B. Serum Sodium
C. Prothrombin Time
D. Hemoglobin A1c
Answer: B
Rationale: Lithium is a salt, and low sodium levels can lead to lithium toxicity by
decreasing renal excretion.
,3. The nurse is assessing a client for potential suicide risk. Which of the
following statements by the client requires the most immediate intervention?
A. I have been feeling very sad for a long time.
B. I think my family would be better off without me.
C. I don’t feel like eating anything today.
D. I have a gun and I am going to use it tonight.
Answer: D
Rationale: This statement indicates a specific plan, access to a lethal method, and a defined
timeframe, representing the highest risk.
4. A client is experiencing a panic attack. What should be the nurse’s first
action?
A. Ask the client to explain what triggered the attack.
B. Stay with the client and maintain a calm demeanor.
C. Administer an immediate dose of an antidepressant.
D. Encourage the client to join a group therapy session.
Answer: B
Rationale: Safety and presence are priorities during a panic attack; staying with the client
reduces fear and ensures safety.
5. Which defense mechanism is a client using when they claim their spouse is
the one who is angry, when in fact the client is the one feeling anger?
A. Rationalization
B. Displacement
C. Projection
D. Sublimation
Answer: C
Rationale: Projection involves attributing one’s own unacceptable feelings or impulses to
another person.
, 6. A client with Anorexia Nervosa is being admitted to the unit. What is the
priority nursing diagnosis?
A. Disturbed Body Image
B. Imbalanced Nutrition: Less than body requirements
C. Low Self-Esteem
D. Social Isolation
Answer: B
Rationale: Physiological needs and safety take priority; severe malnutrition can lead to
life-threatening complications.
7. Which of the following is a negative symptom of Schizophrenia?
A. Hallucinations
B. Delusions
C. Disorganized speech
D. Flat affect
Answer: D
Rationale: Negative symptoms refer to a loss or absence of normal function, such as flat
affect, apathy, or social withdrawal.
8. A nurse is teaching a client who is taking a Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor
(MAOI). Which food should the nurse instruct the client to avoid?
A. Aged cheddar cheese
B. Fresh apples
C. Grilled chicken breast
D. Steamed broccoli
Answer: A
Rationale: MAOIs interact with tyramine-rich foods (like aged cheeses) to cause a
hypertensive crisis.
