ATI RN MENTAL HEALTH Questions and Answers
Adequately Answered and Graded Top Tier
1. A nurse assesses a client at a community mental health facility using the SAD PERSONS tool.
The nurse knows that this tool provides which of the following data related to a client?
A.Current anxiety level
B.Problem-solving ability
C.Suicide potential
D.Mood disturbance - CORRECT ANSWER ✔️✔️ -C
A.INCORRECT: SAD PERSONS is not a tool to provide data related to the client's current
anxiety level.
B.INCORRECT: SAD PERSONS is not a tool to provide data related to a client's ability to
problem solve.
C.CORRECT: SAD PERSONS is a tool that provides data related to a client's suicide potential.
D.INCORRECT: SAD PERSONS does not provide data related to a client's mood disturbance.
NCLEX® Connection: Psychosocial Integrity, Crisis Intervention
1. A nurse is assisting the parents of a school-age child who has oppositional defiant disorder in
identifying strategies to promote positive behavior. Which of the following is an appropriate
strategy for the nurse to recommend? (Select all that apply.)
,A.Allow the child to choose consequences for negative behavior.
B.Use role playing to act out unacceptable behavior.
C.Develop a reward system for acceptable behavior.
D.Encourage the child to participate in school sports.
E.Be consistent when a - CORRECT ANSWER ✔️✔️ -C, D, E
A.IncOrrEct: The parents should set clear limits on unacceptable behavior.
B.IncOrrEct: The parents should focus on acceptable behavior and should demonstrate this
through modeling.
C.CORRECT: The parents should have a method to reward the child for acceptable behavior.
D.CORRECT: The parents should encourage physical activity through which the child can use
energy and obtain success.
E.CORRECT: The parents should set clear limits on unacceptable behavior and should be
consistent.
NCLEX® Connection: Psychosocial Integrity, Behavioral Interventions
1. A nurse manager is discussing the care of a client who has a personality disorder with a newly
licensed nurse. Which of the following statements by the newly licensed nurse indicates a need
for further teaching?
A."I can promote my client's sense of control by establishing a schedule."
,B."Self-assessment will help me cope with emotional reactions to client care."
C."I should practice limit-setting to help prevent client manipulation."
D."Maintaining professional boundaries is a priority of cl - CORRECT ANSWER ✔️✔️ -A
1. A. CoRRECT: Rather than establishing a schedule, the nurse should ask for the client's input
and offer realistic choices to promote the client's sense of control.
B. inCorrECt: Caring for a client who has a personality disorder can evoke an intense emotional
response by the nurse. Self-assessment assists the nurse to cope with these reactions.
C. inCorrECt: When caring for a client who has a personality disorder, limit-setting is
appropriate to help prevent client manipulation.
D. inCorrECt: When caring for a client who has a personality disorder, the nurse should always
maintain professional boundaries.
NCLEX® Connection: Psychosocial Integrity, Behavioral Interventions
2. A client says, "I plan to commit suicide." Which of the following should be the nurse's priority
assessment?
A.Client's educational and economic background
B.Lethality of the method and availability of means
C.Quality of the client's social support
D.Client's insight into the reasons for the decision - CORRECT ANSWER ✔️✔️ -B
, A.INCORRECT: This is an appropriate action by the nurse. However, it is not the priority.
B.CORRECT: The greatest risk to the client is self-harm as a result of carrying out a suicide
plan. Therefore, the priority assessment is to determine how lethal the method is, how available
the method is, and how detailed the plan is.
C.INCORRECT: This is an appropriate action by the nurse. However, it is not the priority.
D.INCORRECT: This is an appropriate action by the nurse. However, it is not the priority.
NCLEX® Connection: Psychosocial Integrity, Crisis Intervention
2. A nurse is caring for a client who has avoidant personality disorder. Which of the following
statements is expected from a client who has this type of personality disorder?
A."I'm scared that you're going to leave me."
B. "I'll go to group therapy if you'll let me smoke."
C."I need to feel that everyone admires me."
D."I sometimes feel better if I cut myself." - CORRECT ANSWER ✔️✔️ -A
A. CoRRECT: Clients who have avoidant personality disorder often have a fear of abandonment.
Therefore, this type of statement is expected.
B. inCorrECt: This statement indicates manipulation, which is not expected from a client who
has borderline rather than avoidant personality disorder.
Adequately Answered and Graded Top Tier
1. A nurse assesses a client at a community mental health facility using the SAD PERSONS tool.
The nurse knows that this tool provides which of the following data related to a client?
A.Current anxiety level
B.Problem-solving ability
C.Suicide potential
D.Mood disturbance - CORRECT ANSWER ✔️✔️ -C
A.INCORRECT: SAD PERSONS is not a tool to provide data related to the client's current
anxiety level.
B.INCORRECT: SAD PERSONS is not a tool to provide data related to a client's ability to
problem solve.
C.CORRECT: SAD PERSONS is a tool that provides data related to a client's suicide potential.
D.INCORRECT: SAD PERSONS does not provide data related to a client's mood disturbance.
NCLEX® Connection: Psychosocial Integrity, Crisis Intervention
1. A nurse is assisting the parents of a school-age child who has oppositional defiant disorder in
identifying strategies to promote positive behavior. Which of the following is an appropriate
strategy for the nurse to recommend? (Select all that apply.)
,A.Allow the child to choose consequences for negative behavior.
B.Use role playing to act out unacceptable behavior.
C.Develop a reward system for acceptable behavior.
D.Encourage the child to participate in school sports.
E.Be consistent when a - CORRECT ANSWER ✔️✔️ -C, D, E
A.IncOrrEct: The parents should set clear limits on unacceptable behavior.
B.IncOrrEct: The parents should focus on acceptable behavior and should demonstrate this
through modeling.
C.CORRECT: The parents should have a method to reward the child for acceptable behavior.
D.CORRECT: The parents should encourage physical activity through which the child can use
energy and obtain success.
E.CORRECT: The parents should set clear limits on unacceptable behavior and should be
consistent.
NCLEX® Connection: Psychosocial Integrity, Behavioral Interventions
1. A nurse manager is discussing the care of a client who has a personality disorder with a newly
licensed nurse. Which of the following statements by the newly licensed nurse indicates a need
for further teaching?
A."I can promote my client's sense of control by establishing a schedule."
,B."Self-assessment will help me cope with emotional reactions to client care."
C."I should practice limit-setting to help prevent client manipulation."
D."Maintaining professional boundaries is a priority of cl - CORRECT ANSWER ✔️✔️ -A
1. A. CoRRECT: Rather than establishing a schedule, the nurse should ask for the client's input
and offer realistic choices to promote the client's sense of control.
B. inCorrECt: Caring for a client who has a personality disorder can evoke an intense emotional
response by the nurse. Self-assessment assists the nurse to cope with these reactions.
C. inCorrECt: When caring for a client who has a personality disorder, limit-setting is
appropriate to help prevent client manipulation.
D. inCorrECt: When caring for a client who has a personality disorder, the nurse should always
maintain professional boundaries.
NCLEX® Connection: Psychosocial Integrity, Behavioral Interventions
2. A client says, "I plan to commit suicide." Which of the following should be the nurse's priority
assessment?
A.Client's educational and economic background
B.Lethality of the method and availability of means
C.Quality of the client's social support
D.Client's insight into the reasons for the decision - CORRECT ANSWER ✔️✔️ -B
, A.INCORRECT: This is an appropriate action by the nurse. However, it is not the priority.
B.CORRECT: The greatest risk to the client is self-harm as a result of carrying out a suicide
plan. Therefore, the priority assessment is to determine how lethal the method is, how available
the method is, and how detailed the plan is.
C.INCORRECT: This is an appropriate action by the nurse. However, it is not the priority.
D.INCORRECT: This is an appropriate action by the nurse. However, it is not the priority.
NCLEX® Connection: Psychosocial Integrity, Crisis Intervention
2. A nurse is caring for a client who has avoidant personality disorder. Which of the following
statements is expected from a client who has this type of personality disorder?
A."I'm scared that you're going to leave me."
B. "I'll go to group therapy if you'll let me smoke."
C."I need to feel that everyone admires me."
D."I sometimes feel better if I cut myself." - CORRECT ANSWER ✔️✔️ -A
A. CoRRECT: Clients who have avoidant personality disorder often have a fear of abandonment.
Therefore, this type of statement is expected.
B. inCorrECt: This statement indicates manipulation, which is not expected from a client who
has borderline rather than avoidant personality disorder.
