CMAN 272 EXAM 1 | UPDATED Questions with 100% Verified
Answers
Loyola University Chicago • CMAN 272
Q1: Which situation is the best example of a double bind? A wife sighs while telling her husband, "You can
go out with the boys tonight if it's what you really want to do." A mother tells her son, "Under no
circumstances will I give you permission to stay out after midnight." A roommate states, "I would prefer to
have you call if you think you are going to be late for dinner." A man says, "I was surprised and delighted
when my entry was chosen for an award."
A: A wife sighs while telling her husband, "You can go out with the boys tonight if it's what
you really want to do."
A double bind is created when the verbal and nonverbal messages are incongruent,
leaving the listener confused or trapped ("damned if he does and damned if he doesn't").
None of the other options present such a confused message.REF: 626; Box 352
Q2: What is the primary function of the nurse generalist in caring for families? Assessing the amount of
stress on the system Conducting private family therapy sessions Prescribing psychobiological intervention
Determining the new skills the family needs
A: Assessing the amount of stress on the system
An important function of a nurse generalist is to assess cues from various family members
that indicate the degree and amount of stress the family system is experiencing and
report these so that appropriate interventions may be made in a timely manner by a
qualified counselor. The remaining options are outside the scope of practice of a
psychiatric nurse generalist.REF: 628629
Q3: A family consists of a husband, a wife, their three children, and the wife's mother. This family form is
referred to using which term? Extended Dyadic Blended Indwelling
A: Extended
An extended family (multigenerational) is a composite of three or more generations.
None of the other options refer to this family composition.REF: 622
Q4: Which assessment tool is highly effective in uncovering multigenerational issues in a family? Genogram
Focused interview Family function checklist Family assessment device
A: Genogram
A genogram maps family structure and family information for at least three generations. It
graphically depicts relational patterns and multigenerational issues. Demographics,
sociocultural context, and critical events can be noted. While helpful, none of the
remaining options focus on multigenerational issues.REF: 627
,Q5: The family consists of the husband and his wife, their four children, the wife's 21yearold sister, and
client's elderly aunt. Which members are considered the client's nuclear family? The parents and their four
children The wife and her sister The husband and his aunt The four children and the wife's sister
A: The parents and their four children
The term nuclear family refers to parents and the children under the parents' care.REF:
622
Q6: During a family therapy session a wife states, "My husband is always angry. The children and I are
always on edge. We can never relax." The nurse identifies the wife's communication technique using which
term? Placating Distracting Generalizing Manipulating
A: Generalizing
Generalization involves making global statements using "always" and "never" when
dealing with problematic family issues. Generalization allows the speaker to avoid dealing
with specific examples. None of the other options describes the provided
conversation.REF: 624; Box 351
Q7: The members of a family openly tell each other what they are thinking and feeling. A nurse listening to
their interchanges would assess their communication using which term? Generalizing Doublebind
Disengaged Healthy
A: Healthy
Healthy communication is exemplified by being clear and direct in saying what you want
and need. The other terms are used to describe some form of dysfunctional
communication.REF: 623
Q8: A girl is overheard saying to her brother, "If you stick up for me with mom and dad, I will forget I heard
you planning to sneak out after they are asleep." This can be assessed as what type of communication?
Manipulative Scapegoating Generalizing Placating
A: Manipulative
One example of manipulation occurs when a family member makes a request with strings
attached so that the other person has difficulty refusing. This example is not associated
with any of the other options.REF: 624; Box 351
Q9: During family therapy the family's youngest daughter says, "They care more about my sister because
she's older and gets straight As in school." Which nursing diagnosis should be given priority? Deficient
knowledge Parental role conflict Defensive coping Relational problems
A: Relational problems
This discourse concerns relational problems related to a mental disorder, a generic
medical condition, or a sibling relational problem. No data suggests the other
diagnoses.REF: 628; Box 353
,Q10: A 26yearold client diagnosed with schizophrenia is having difficulty adjusting to the community after
hospitalization. His family is dismayed by his poor hygiene and avolition. Which intervention should the
nurse suggest? The client attending a psychoeducational group Close supervision of the client by the family
Encourage the family to ignore all symptoms except delusions. Suggest group home living for the client in
order to avoid family burnout.
A: The client attending a psychoeducational group
Psychoeducation can help the family learn to accept the illness of a family member, learn
to deal effectively with symptoms, and understand medications. None of the other
options provide a realistic, effective intervention to manage this client's socialization and
selfcare issues.REF: 624625
Q11: At the first therapy session the family's father tells the therapist that "We wouldn't have to be here if our
younger son wasn't such a brat. He seems so different from our other son. We never had difficulty with him
misbehaving." The other sibling offers "He gets upset pretty easily." The nurse should suspect that the
younger son is the focus of which family dynamic behavior? Scapegoating Boundaries resisting
Differentiation Multigenerational transition.
A: Scapegoating
A scapegoat is the person others blame for the family's distress. Those blaming the
scapegoat are usually trying to keep the focus off their own painful issues and problems.
The parents seem to be scapegoating the younger son. The information presented does
not support any of the other options.REF: 626; Box 352
Q12: During a family therapy session the mother says to her daughter, "I would like to know why you took
the piece of pie that was left after dinner last night. You knew I wanted it." Later the father tells his daughter,
"I know exactly why you did that." The nurse therapist should consider the possibility that the family is
demonstrating which boundary issue Clear Diffused Disengaged Inflexible
A: Diffused
A common phenomenon within families with diffuse boundaries is that individuals expect
other members of the family to know what they are thinking. The described conversation
is not reflective of any of the other options.REF: 626; Box 352
Q13: The client disagrees that her husband should seek a promotion since it will require the family to move.
After she discusses the situation with their 12yearold, the child tells her father she does not want to move.
The client has engaged in which form of dysfunction family dynamics? Triangulation Enmeshment A double
bind Diffuse boundaries
A: Triangulation
Triangulation occurs when a twoperson relationship is under stress and one person
draws in a third person to stabilize the system by forming a coalition.REF: 626; Box 352
Q14: At what point would the nurse expect a family to demonstrate the greatest dislocation in the family life
cycle? When the couple is deciding whether to have children When the first child enters school When a
member is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis When the couple renegotiates the marital system as a dyad
A: When a member is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis
Family stress is often the greatest at times of serious illness, death, or divorce. While the
other options can produce levels of stress, none are as stressful as coping with a family
member's chronic illness.REF: 627
, Q15: Which family situation should the nurse assess as warranting a referral for family therapy? A couple is
having their first child. They say, "It's certainly going to be a change for us." A husband and wife are sending
a son off to college and planning their daughter's wedding. They say, "Soon we will be back to having an
empty nest again." A couple is having difficulty dealing with the erratic behavior of their bipolar son. They
say, "We're at the end of our rope." The parents of a blended family with five children ranging in age from 5
to 15 years say, "It's never quiet, but the disagreements eventually get worked out."
A: A couple is having difficulty dealing with the erratic behavior of their bipolar son. They
say, "We're at the end of our rope."
The family in option C is the only family system clearly expressing an unmanageable
degree of stress. The other systems may be undergoing stress but have not expressed
distress.REF: 622
Q16: The family that consists of a married mother and father and three biological children all living together
is referred to using which term? Blended family Cohabitating family Nuclear family Other family
A: Nuclear family
A nuclear family consists of one or more children who live with married parents who are
the biological or adoptive parents to all the children. Blended family refers to one or
more children living with a biological or adoptive parent and an unrelated stepparent
who are married to each other. Cohabitating family refers to one or more children living
with a biological or adoptive parent and an unrelated adult who are cohabitating. "Other"
refers to one or more children living with related or unrelated adults who are not
biological or adoptive parents. This includes children living with grandparents and foster
families.DIF: Cognitive Level: Remember (Knowledge)REF: page 4TOP: Nursing Process:
AssessmentMSC: NCLEX: Psychosocial Integrity
Q17: A nuclear family consists of married parents, a 16yearold daughter, and a 19yearold son recently
diagnosed with schizophrenia. The rest of the family is bewildered with his symptoms and express that they
feel lost in knowing how to deal with things. Which of the following approaches to family therapy should the
nurse implement at this time to provide support and give information to the family that will help them cope
with their son's illness? Insightoriented family therapy Psychoeducational family therapy Behavioral family
therapy Multigenerational family therapy
A: Psychoeducational family therapy
The primary goal of psychoeducational family therapy is the sharing of mental health
care information. This helps family members better understand their member's illness,
prodromal symptoms (symptoms that may appear before a full relapse), medications
needed to help reduce the symptoms, and more. Psychoeducational family meetings
allow feelings to be shared and strategies for dealing with these feelings to be
developed. Insightoriented therapy focuses on developing increased selfawareness,
other awareness, and family awareness among family members. Behavioral family therapy
focuses on changing behaviors of family members to influence overall patterns of family
interactions. The last option is a distractor and is incorrect.DIF: Cognitive Level: Analyze
(Analysis)REF: page 13TOP: Nursing Process: PlanningMSC: NCLEX: Psychosocial
Integrity
Answers
Loyola University Chicago • CMAN 272
Q1: Which situation is the best example of a double bind? A wife sighs while telling her husband, "You can
go out with the boys tonight if it's what you really want to do." A mother tells her son, "Under no
circumstances will I give you permission to stay out after midnight." A roommate states, "I would prefer to
have you call if you think you are going to be late for dinner." A man says, "I was surprised and delighted
when my entry was chosen for an award."
A: A wife sighs while telling her husband, "You can go out with the boys tonight if it's what
you really want to do."
A double bind is created when the verbal and nonverbal messages are incongruent,
leaving the listener confused or trapped ("damned if he does and damned if he doesn't").
None of the other options present such a confused message.REF: 626; Box 352
Q2: What is the primary function of the nurse generalist in caring for families? Assessing the amount of
stress on the system Conducting private family therapy sessions Prescribing psychobiological intervention
Determining the new skills the family needs
A: Assessing the amount of stress on the system
An important function of a nurse generalist is to assess cues from various family members
that indicate the degree and amount of stress the family system is experiencing and
report these so that appropriate interventions may be made in a timely manner by a
qualified counselor. The remaining options are outside the scope of practice of a
psychiatric nurse generalist.REF: 628629
Q3: A family consists of a husband, a wife, their three children, and the wife's mother. This family form is
referred to using which term? Extended Dyadic Blended Indwelling
A: Extended
An extended family (multigenerational) is a composite of three or more generations.
None of the other options refer to this family composition.REF: 622
Q4: Which assessment tool is highly effective in uncovering multigenerational issues in a family? Genogram
Focused interview Family function checklist Family assessment device
A: Genogram
A genogram maps family structure and family information for at least three generations. It
graphically depicts relational patterns and multigenerational issues. Demographics,
sociocultural context, and critical events can be noted. While helpful, none of the
remaining options focus on multigenerational issues.REF: 627
,Q5: The family consists of the husband and his wife, their four children, the wife's 21yearold sister, and
client's elderly aunt. Which members are considered the client's nuclear family? The parents and their four
children The wife and her sister The husband and his aunt The four children and the wife's sister
A: The parents and their four children
The term nuclear family refers to parents and the children under the parents' care.REF:
622
Q6: During a family therapy session a wife states, "My husband is always angry. The children and I are
always on edge. We can never relax." The nurse identifies the wife's communication technique using which
term? Placating Distracting Generalizing Manipulating
A: Generalizing
Generalization involves making global statements using "always" and "never" when
dealing with problematic family issues. Generalization allows the speaker to avoid dealing
with specific examples. None of the other options describes the provided
conversation.REF: 624; Box 351
Q7: The members of a family openly tell each other what they are thinking and feeling. A nurse listening to
their interchanges would assess their communication using which term? Generalizing Doublebind
Disengaged Healthy
A: Healthy
Healthy communication is exemplified by being clear and direct in saying what you want
and need. The other terms are used to describe some form of dysfunctional
communication.REF: 623
Q8: A girl is overheard saying to her brother, "If you stick up for me with mom and dad, I will forget I heard
you planning to sneak out after they are asleep." This can be assessed as what type of communication?
Manipulative Scapegoating Generalizing Placating
A: Manipulative
One example of manipulation occurs when a family member makes a request with strings
attached so that the other person has difficulty refusing. This example is not associated
with any of the other options.REF: 624; Box 351
Q9: During family therapy the family's youngest daughter says, "They care more about my sister because
she's older and gets straight As in school." Which nursing diagnosis should be given priority? Deficient
knowledge Parental role conflict Defensive coping Relational problems
A: Relational problems
This discourse concerns relational problems related to a mental disorder, a generic
medical condition, or a sibling relational problem. No data suggests the other
diagnoses.REF: 628; Box 353
,Q10: A 26yearold client diagnosed with schizophrenia is having difficulty adjusting to the community after
hospitalization. His family is dismayed by his poor hygiene and avolition. Which intervention should the
nurse suggest? The client attending a psychoeducational group Close supervision of the client by the family
Encourage the family to ignore all symptoms except delusions. Suggest group home living for the client in
order to avoid family burnout.
A: The client attending a psychoeducational group
Psychoeducation can help the family learn to accept the illness of a family member, learn
to deal effectively with symptoms, and understand medications. None of the other
options provide a realistic, effective intervention to manage this client's socialization and
selfcare issues.REF: 624625
Q11: At the first therapy session the family's father tells the therapist that "We wouldn't have to be here if our
younger son wasn't such a brat. He seems so different from our other son. We never had difficulty with him
misbehaving." The other sibling offers "He gets upset pretty easily." The nurse should suspect that the
younger son is the focus of which family dynamic behavior? Scapegoating Boundaries resisting
Differentiation Multigenerational transition.
A: Scapegoating
A scapegoat is the person others blame for the family's distress. Those blaming the
scapegoat are usually trying to keep the focus off their own painful issues and problems.
The parents seem to be scapegoating the younger son. The information presented does
not support any of the other options.REF: 626; Box 352
Q12: During a family therapy session the mother says to her daughter, "I would like to know why you took
the piece of pie that was left after dinner last night. You knew I wanted it." Later the father tells his daughter,
"I know exactly why you did that." The nurse therapist should consider the possibility that the family is
demonstrating which boundary issue Clear Diffused Disengaged Inflexible
A: Diffused
A common phenomenon within families with diffuse boundaries is that individuals expect
other members of the family to know what they are thinking. The described conversation
is not reflective of any of the other options.REF: 626; Box 352
Q13: The client disagrees that her husband should seek a promotion since it will require the family to move.
After she discusses the situation with their 12yearold, the child tells her father she does not want to move.
The client has engaged in which form of dysfunction family dynamics? Triangulation Enmeshment A double
bind Diffuse boundaries
A: Triangulation
Triangulation occurs when a twoperson relationship is under stress and one person
draws in a third person to stabilize the system by forming a coalition.REF: 626; Box 352
Q14: At what point would the nurse expect a family to demonstrate the greatest dislocation in the family life
cycle? When the couple is deciding whether to have children When the first child enters school When a
member is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis When the couple renegotiates the marital system as a dyad
A: When a member is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis
Family stress is often the greatest at times of serious illness, death, or divorce. While the
other options can produce levels of stress, none are as stressful as coping with a family
member's chronic illness.REF: 627
, Q15: Which family situation should the nurse assess as warranting a referral for family therapy? A couple is
having their first child. They say, "It's certainly going to be a change for us." A husband and wife are sending
a son off to college and planning their daughter's wedding. They say, "Soon we will be back to having an
empty nest again." A couple is having difficulty dealing with the erratic behavior of their bipolar son. They
say, "We're at the end of our rope." The parents of a blended family with five children ranging in age from 5
to 15 years say, "It's never quiet, but the disagreements eventually get worked out."
A: A couple is having difficulty dealing with the erratic behavior of their bipolar son. They
say, "We're at the end of our rope."
The family in option C is the only family system clearly expressing an unmanageable
degree of stress. The other systems may be undergoing stress but have not expressed
distress.REF: 622
Q16: The family that consists of a married mother and father and three biological children all living together
is referred to using which term? Blended family Cohabitating family Nuclear family Other family
A: Nuclear family
A nuclear family consists of one or more children who live with married parents who are
the biological or adoptive parents to all the children. Blended family refers to one or
more children living with a biological or adoptive parent and an unrelated stepparent
who are married to each other. Cohabitating family refers to one or more children living
with a biological or adoptive parent and an unrelated adult who are cohabitating. "Other"
refers to one or more children living with related or unrelated adults who are not
biological or adoptive parents. This includes children living with grandparents and foster
families.DIF: Cognitive Level: Remember (Knowledge)REF: page 4TOP: Nursing Process:
AssessmentMSC: NCLEX: Psychosocial Integrity
Q17: A nuclear family consists of married parents, a 16yearold daughter, and a 19yearold son recently
diagnosed with schizophrenia. The rest of the family is bewildered with his symptoms and express that they
feel lost in knowing how to deal with things. Which of the following approaches to family therapy should the
nurse implement at this time to provide support and give information to the family that will help them cope
with their son's illness? Insightoriented family therapy Psychoeducational family therapy Behavioral family
therapy Multigenerational family therapy
A: Psychoeducational family therapy
The primary goal of psychoeducational family therapy is the sharing of mental health
care information. This helps family members better understand their member's illness,
prodromal symptoms (symptoms that may appear before a full relapse), medications
needed to help reduce the symptoms, and more. Psychoeducational family meetings
allow feelings to be shared and strategies for dealing with these feelings to be
developed. Insightoriented therapy focuses on developing increased selfawareness,
other awareness, and family awareness among family members. Behavioral family therapy
focuses on changing behaviors of family members to influence overall patterns of family
interactions. The last option is a distractor and is incorrect.DIF: Cognitive Level: Analyze
(Analysis)REF: page 13TOP: Nursing Process: PlanningMSC: NCLEX: Psychosocial
Integrity
