NURS 222 Mental Health Final Exam Actual Exam 2026/2027 – Complete
50-Question Practice Test with Detailed Rationales | 100% Verified | Pass
Guaranteed – A+ Graded
Section A: Foundations of Mental Health Nursing & Therapeutic
Communication
Q1: A patient diagnosed with depression states, "Nobody cares about me. I might as
well not exist." Which response by the nurse demonstrates the MOST therapeutic
communication technique?
A. "That's not true—your family visits every day, so they clearly care about you."
B. "You should try to think more positively about your situation."
C. "You feel that no one cares about you and that your existence doesn't matter."
[CORRECT]
D. "Why do you feel that way when you have so much to live for?"
Correct Answer: C
,Rationale: Reflection validates the patient's feelings without judgment or false
reassurance, fostering trust. Option A offers false reassurance, B gives advice, and D is
a "why" question that can sound accusatory and shut down communication.
Q2: A newly admitted patient asks the nurse, "How long will I be in therapy, and what are
we going to talk about?" The nurse recognizes this question is MOST appropriate to
address during which phase of the therapeutic relationship?
A. Pre-orientation
B. Orientation [CORRECT]
C. Working
D. Termination
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The orientation phase focuses on establishing trust, defining roles, setting
goals, and contracting for the relationship. The working phase explores problems,
termination evaluates progress, and pre-orientation involves reviewing records before
meeting the patient.
,Q3: During a group session, a patient with borderline personality disorder becomes
angry and shouts at the nurse, "You're just like my mother—always controlling and never
listening!" The nurse recognizes this interaction as an example of:
A. Countertransference
B. Transference [CORRECT]
C. Projection
D. Displacement
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Transference occurs when a patient unconsciously redirects feelings about a
significant person onto the nurse. Countertransference involves the nurse's feelings
toward the patient, projection attributes one's own feelings to others, and displacement
redirects emotion to a less threatening target.
Q4: The charge nurse delegates vital signs and meal intake monitoring to a UAP for a
patient with schizophrenia. Which assessment task must the REGISTERED NURSE
complete independently and NOT delegate?
A. Monitoring food and fluid intake at meals
B. Assessing the patient for hallucinations, delusions, and thought content [CORRECT]
, C. Observing and documenting sleep patterns
D. Reporting unusual or abnormal behaviors to the nurse
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Assessment of mental status, including hallucinations and delusions,
requires the clinical judgment of an RN and cannot be delegated to unlicensed assistive
personnel. UAPs may monitor intake, observe sleep, and report behaviors but cannot
perform psychiatric assessments.
Q5: A patient expresses anxiety about an upcoming procedure and says, "I'm really
scared something will go wrong." The nurse responds, "Don't worry, everything will be
fine. The doctors here are the best." This response is an example of:
A. Giving advice
B. Approval
C. False reassurance [CORRECT]
D. Changing the subject
Correct Answer: C
50-Question Practice Test with Detailed Rationales | 100% Verified | Pass
Guaranteed – A+ Graded
Section A: Foundations of Mental Health Nursing & Therapeutic
Communication
Q1: A patient diagnosed with depression states, "Nobody cares about me. I might as
well not exist." Which response by the nurse demonstrates the MOST therapeutic
communication technique?
A. "That's not true—your family visits every day, so they clearly care about you."
B. "You should try to think more positively about your situation."
C. "You feel that no one cares about you and that your existence doesn't matter."
[CORRECT]
D. "Why do you feel that way when you have so much to live for?"
Correct Answer: C
,Rationale: Reflection validates the patient's feelings without judgment or false
reassurance, fostering trust. Option A offers false reassurance, B gives advice, and D is
a "why" question that can sound accusatory and shut down communication.
Q2: A newly admitted patient asks the nurse, "How long will I be in therapy, and what are
we going to talk about?" The nurse recognizes this question is MOST appropriate to
address during which phase of the therapeutic relationship?
A. Pre-orientation
B. Orientation [CORRECT]
C. Working
D. Termination
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The orientation phase focuses on establishing trust, defining roles, setting
goals, and contracting for the relationship. The working phase explores problems,
termination evaluates progress, and pre-orientation involves reviewing records before
meeting the patient.
,Q3: During a group session, a patient with borderline personality disorder becomes
angry and shouts at the nurse, "You're just like my mother—always controlling and never
listening!" The nurse recognizes this interaction as an example of:
A. Countertransference
B. Transference [CORRECT]
C. Projection
D. Displacement
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Transference occurs when a patient unconsciously redirects feelings about a
significant person onto the nurse. Countertransference involves the nurse's feelings
toward the patient, projection attributes one's own feelings to others, and displacement
redirects emotion to a less threatening target.
Q4: The charge nurse delegates vital signs and meal intake monitoring to a UAP for a
patient with schizophrenia. Which assessment task must the REGISTERED NURSE
complete independently and NOT delegate?
A. Monitoring food and fluid intake at meals
B. Assessing the patient for hallucinations, delusions, and thought content [CORRECT]
, C. Observing and documenting sleep patterns
D. Reporting unusual or abnormal behaviors to the nurse
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Assessment of mental status, including hallucinations and delusions,
requires the clinical judgment of an RN and cannot be delegated to unlicensed assistive
personnel. UAPs may monitor intake, observe sleep, and report behaviors but cannot
perform psychiatric assessments.
Q5: A patient expresses anxiety about an upcoming procedure and says, "I'm really
scared something will go wrong." The nurse responds, "Don't worry, everything will be
fine. The doctors here are the best." This response is an example of:
A. Giving advice
B. Approval
C. False reassurance [CORRECT]
D. Changing the subject
Correct Answer: C
