CHAMBERLAIN UNIVERSITY
College of Nursing
NR 548 — Exam 2
Psychiatric Assessment for the PMHNP
INSTITUTION Chamberlain University
COURSE CODE NR 548
PROGRAM Master of Science in Nursing — PMHNP
ACADEMIC YEAR 2026/2027
EXAM TITLE NR 548 — Exam 2 | Psychiatric Assessment for the PMHNP
TOTAL QUESTIONS 100 Questions
COURSE TITLE Psychiatric Assessment for the PMHNP
FORMAT Source Bank + NCLEX-Style Enrichment + Alternative Format + Medication Math
NR 548 | 2026/2027
NR 548 — Exam 2 | Psychiatric Assessment for the PMHNP
,INTRODUCTION
This document contains 100 verified questions covering the full NR 548 Examination 2 content for Psychiatric
Assessment for the PMHNP at Chamberlain University, College of Nursing. The questions address every domain:
Psychiatric Interview Foundations & Structure; Therapeutic Communication Techniques; Non-Therapeutic
Communication & Barriers; Cultural Competence & Special Populations; and Documentation, Ethics & Legal
Considerations. Content is original and designed to reinforce the official NR 548 course objectives for actual exam
readiness and psychiatric interview proficiency, aligned to the 2026/2027 academic year. Each question includes
a correct answer and a rationale grounded in foundational psychiatric interviewing methodology, AANPCB
PMHNP content, NCSBN Clinical Judgment Measurement Model principles, and evidence-based therapeutic
communication standards.
ACTUAL QUESTIONS
Domain 1: Psychiatric Interview Foundations & Structure
Question 1. The primary goal of the initial psychiatric interview is to:
A. Establish a therapeutic alliance, gather comprehensive history, and assess safety
B. Immediately prescribe medication
C. Complete all laboratory orders before speaking with the client
D. Limit the encounter to five minutes
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The initial interview prioritizes building rapport, obtaining a thorough history, and evaluating
safety (including suicide and violence risk). Medication decisions and laboratory studies follow from the clinical
formulation developed during the interview.
Question 2. Which of the following best describes the structure of a comprehensive psychiatric
interview?
A. Random conversation without sequence
B. Only the mental status examination
C. Introduction and informed consent, chief complaint, history of present illness, psychiatric and medical
history, social history, MSE, risk assessment, formulation, and plan
D. Only medication reconciliation
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A systematic structure ensures completeness while allowing flexibility. Beginning with informed
consent and the chief complaint, progressing through history and examination, and concluding with
formulation and plan is the standard framework taught in NR 548 and psychiatric interviewing texts.
Question 3. Informed consent at the start of a psychiatric interview should include discussion of:
A. Only the clinician's credentials
B. The purpose of the evaluation, limits of confidentiality (including duty to protect and mandated reporting),
and the client's right to participate or decline
C. Guaranteed treatment outcomes
D. The clinician's personal history
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Informed consent establishes the frame: purpose of the encounter, what information will be
gathered, how it will be used, and the legal limits of confidentiality. This transparency supports autonomy and
trust.
Question 4. The chief complaint is best elicited by:
A. Reading a list of symptoms to the client
B. Focusing solely on medication side effects
C. Assuming the referral reason is the only concern
D. Asking an open-ended question such as 'What brings you in today?' or 'How can I help you?'
NR 548 — Exam 2 | Psychiatric Assessment for the PMHNP
, Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Open-ended invitations allow the client to state concerns in their own words, revealing priorities and
language that guide the remainder of the interview. Leading or closed questions restrict the narrative.
Question 5. Which technique helps the interviewer obtain a chronological history of the present
illness?
A. Asking the client to describe when symptoms began, how they evolved, and what factors worsen or improve
them
B. Rapid-fire closed questions only
C. Ignoring the timeline entirely
D. Focusing only on the past week
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: A chronological account of onset, course, precipitants, and modifying factors is essential for
differential diagnosis. Open and focused questions together construct this narrative.
Question 6. The psychiatric review of systems includes inquiry into:
A. Only physical symptoms
B. Only occupational history
C. Mood, anxiety, psychosis, sleep, appetite, energy, concentration, trauma, substance use, and suicidal or
homicidal ideation
D. Only family medical history
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A psychiatric review of systems systematically screens domains that may not emerge spontaneously,
ensuring that clinically important symptoms are not missed.
Question 7. When a client becomes tearful during the interview, an appropriate response is to:
A. Immediately change the subject
B. Pause, acknowledge the emotion, and allow space for the client to continue or recover
C. Tell the client to stop crying
D. End the interview at once
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Acknowledging affect and permitting silence or continued expression demonstrates empathy and
maintains the therapeutic frame. Abrupt topic changes or dismissal of emotion are non-therapeutic.
Question 8. The concept of 'setting the frame' in the psychiatric interview refers to:
A. Decorating the office
B. Avoiding any structure
C. Only taking vital signs
D. Clarifying roles, time available, confidentiality limits, and the collaborative nature of the encounter
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Setting the frame orients the client to the purpose, duration, and boundaries of the meeting. Clear
framing reduces anxiety and supports a productive alliance.
Question 9. Which of the following is an appropriate use of closed-ended questions in the
psychiatric interview?
A. To clarify specific facts, confirm details, or screen for discrete symptoms after the narrative has been
elicited
B. As the exclusive method of inquiry
C. To prevent the client from speaking
D. Only at the very beginning
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Closed questions efficiently gather concrete data once the client has shared their story. Overuse early
in the interview stifles the narrative and alliance.
NR 548 — Exam 2 | Psychiatric Assessment for the PMHNP
College of Nursing
NR 548 — Exam 2
Psychiatric Assessment for the PMHNP
INSTITUTION Chamberlain University
COURSE CODE NR 548
PROGRAM Master of Science in Nursing — PMHNP
ACADEMIC YEAR 2026/2027
EXAM TITLE NR 548 — Exam 2 | Psychiatric Assessment for the PMHNP
TOTAL QUESTIONS 100 Questions
COURSE TITLE Psychiatric Assessment for the PMHNP
FORMAT Source Bank + NCLEX-Style Enrichment + Alternative Format + Medication Math
NR 548 | 2026/2027
NR 548 — Exam 2 | Psychiatric Assessment for the PMHNP
,INTRODUCTION
This document contains 100 verified questions covering the full NR 548 Examination 2 content for Psychiatric
Assessment for the PMHNP at Chamberlain University, College of Nursing. The questions address every domain:
Psychiatric Interview Foundations & Structure; Therapeutic Communication Techniques; Non-Therapeutic
Communication & Barriers; Cultural Competence & Special Populations; and Documentation, Ethics & Legal
Considerations. Content is original and designed to reinforce the official NR 548 course objectives for actual exam
readiness and psychiatric interview proficiency, aligned to the 2026/2027 academic year. Each question includes
a correct answer and a rationale grounded in foundational psychiatric interviewing methodology, AANPCB
PMHNP content, NCSBN Clinical Judgment Measurement Model principles, and evidence-based therapeutic
communication standards.
ACTUAL QUESTIONS
Domain 1: Psychiatric Interview Foundations & Structure
Question 1. The primary goal of the initial psychiatric interview is to:
A. Establish a therapeutic alliance, gather comprehensive history, and assess safety
B. Immediately prescribe medication
C. Complete all laboratory orders before speaking with the client
D. Limit the encounter to five minutes
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The initial interview prioritizes building rapport, obtaining a thorough history, and evaluating
safety (including suicide and violence risk). Medication decisions and laboratory studies follow from the clinical
formulation developed during the interview.
Question 2. Which of the following best describes the structure of a comprehensive psychiatric
interview?
A. Random conversation without sequence
B. Only the mental status examination
C. Introduction and informed consent, chief complaint, history of present illness, psychiatric and medical
history, social history, MSE, risk assessment, formulation, and plan
D. Only medication reconciliation
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A systematic structure ensures completeness while allowing flexibility. Beginning with informed
consent and the chief complaint, progressing through history and examination, and concluding with
formulation and plan is the standard framework taught in NR 548 and psychiatric interviewing texts.
Question 3. Informed consent at the start of a psychiatric interview should include discussion of:
A. Only the clinician's credentials
B. The purpose of the evaluation, limits of confidentiality (including duty to protect and mandated reporting),
and the client's right to participate or decline
C. Guaranteed treatment outcomes
D. The clinician's personal history
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Informed consent establishes the frame: purpose of the encounter, what information will be
gathered, how it will be used, and the legal limits of confidentiality. This transparency supports autonomy and
trust.
Question 4. The chief complaint is best elicited by:
A. Reading a list of symptoms to the client
B. Focusing solely on medication side effects
C. Assuming the referral reason is the only concern
D. Asking an open-ended question such as 'What brings you in today?' or 'How can I help you?'
NR 548 — Exam 2 | Psychiatric Assessment for the PMHNP
, Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Open-ended invitations allow the client to state concerns in their own words, revealing priorities and
language that guide the remainder of the interview. Leading or closed questions restrict the narrative.
Question 5. Which technique helps the interviewer obtain a chronological history of the present
illness?
A. Asking the client to describe when symptoms began, how they evolved, and what factors worsen or improve
them
B. Rapid-fire closed questions only
C. Ignoring the timeline entirely
D. Focusing only on the past week
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: A chronological account of onset, course, precipitants, and modifying factors is essential for
differential diagnosis. Open and focused questions together construct this narrative.
Question 6. The psychiatric review of systems includes inquiry into:
A. Only physical symptoms
B. Only occupational history
C. Mood, anxiety, psychosis, sleep, appetite, energy, concentration, trauma, substance use, and suicidal or
homicidal ideation
D. Only family medical history
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A psychiatric review of systems systematically screens domains that may not emerge spontaneously,
ensuring that clinically important symptoms are not missed.
Question 7. When a client becomes tearful during the interview, an appropriate response is to:
A. Immediately change the subject
B. Pause, acknowledge the emotion, and allow space for the client to continue or recover
C. Tell the client to stop crying
D. End the interview at once
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Acknowledging affect and permitting silence or continued expression demonstrates empathy and
maintains the therapeutic frame. Abrupt topic changes or dismissal of emotion are non-therapeutic.
Question 8. The concept of 'setting the frame' in the psychiatric interview refers to:
A. Decorating the office
B. Avoiding any structure
C. Only taking vital signs
D. Clarifying roles, time available, confidentiality limits, and the collaborative nature of the encounter
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Setting the frame orients the client to the purpose, duration, and boundaries of the meeting. Clear
framing reduces anxiety and supports a productive alliance.
Question 9. Which of the following is an appropriate use of closed-ended questions in the
psychiatric interview?
A. To clarify specific facts, confirm details, or screen for discrete symptoms after the narrative has been
elicited
B. As the exclusive method of inquiry
C. To prevent the client from speaking
D. Only at the very beginning
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Closed questions efficiently gather concrete data once the client has shared their story. Overuse early
in the interview stifles the narrative and alliance.
NR 548 — Exam 2 | Psychiatric Assessment for the PMHNP
