MENTAL HEALTH NCLEX QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

MENTAL HEALTH NCLEX QUESTIONS AND ANSWERSMental Health 1. The home care nurse is visiting an older client whose spouse died 6 months ago. Which behavior by the client indicates ineffective coping? 1. Neglecting personal grooming 2. Looking at old snapshots of family 3. Participating in a senior citizens' program 4. Visiting their spouse's grave once a month 2. A client with a diagnosis of major depression who has attempted suicide says to the nurse, "I should have died. I've always been a failure. Nothing ever goes right for me." Which response demonstrates therapeutic communication? 1. "You have everything to live for." 2. "Why do you see yourself as a failure?" 3. "Feeling like this is all part of being depressed." 4. "You've been feeling like a failure for a while?" 3. When the mental health nurse visits a client at home, the client states, "I haven't slept at all the last couple of nights." Which response by the nurse illustrates a therapeutic communication response to this client? 1. "I see." 2. "Really?" 3. "You're having difficulty sleeping?" 4. "Sometimes, I have trouble sleeping too." 3. A client experiencing disturbed thought processes believes that his food is being poisoned. Which communication technique should the nurse use to encourage the client to eat? 1. Using open-ended questions and silence 2. Sharing personal preference regarding food choices 3. Documenting reasons why the client does not want to eat 4. Offering opinions about the necessity of adequate nutrition 5. A client admitted to a mental health unit for treatment of psychotic behavior spends hours at the locked exit door shouting, "Let me out. There's nothing wrong with me. I don't belong here." What defense mechanism is the client implementing? 1. Denial 2. Projection 3. Regression 4. Rationalization 6. A client diagnosed with terminal cancer says to the nurse, "I'm going to die, and I wish my family would stop hoping for a cure! I get so angry when they carry on like this. After all, I'm the one who's dying." Which response by the nurse is therapeutic? 1. "Have you shared your feelings with your family?" 2. "I think we should talk more about your anger with your family." 3. "You're feeling angry that your family continues to hope for you to be cured?" 4. "You are probably very depressed, which is understandable with such a diagnosis." 7. On review of the client's record, the nurse notes that the mental health admission was voluntary. Based on this information, the nurse anticipates which client behavior? 1. Fearfulness regarding treatment measures. 2. Anger and aggressiveness directed toward others. 3. An understanding of the pathology and symptoms of the diagnosis. 4. A willingness to participate in the planning of the care and treatment plan. 8. When reviewing the admission assessment, the nurse notes that a client was admitted to the mental health unit involuntarily. Based on this type of admission, the nurse should provide which intervention for this client? 1. Monitor closely for harm to self or others. 2. Assist in completing an application for admission. 3. Supply the client with written information about their mental illness. 4. Provide an opportunity for the family to discuss why they felt the admission was needed. 9. The nurse is preparing a client for the termination phase of the nurse-client relationship. The nurse prepares to implement which nursing task that is most appropriate for this phase? 1. Planning short-term goals 2. Making appropriate referrals