HA CHAPTER 5 MENTAL STATUS
ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS WITH 100%
CORRECT ANSWERS { GRADED A+}
1. During an examination, the nurse can assess mental status by which
activity?
a. Examining the patient's electroencephalogram
b. Observing the patient as he or she performs an intelligence quotient
(IQ) test
c. Observing the patient and inferring health or dysfunction
d. Examining the patient's response to a specific set of questions -
✔✔ANS: C
,Mental status cannot be directly scrutinized like the characteristics of
skin or heart sounds. Its functioning is inferred through an assessment
of an individual's behaviors, such as consciousness, language, mood and
affect, and other aspects. Mental status cannot be directly scrutinized
through tests such as an electroencephalogram, intelligence quotient
(IQ) test, or responses to questions. Instead, the functioning of mental
status is inferred through an assessment of an individual's behaviors,
such as consciousness, language, mood and affect, and other aspects.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension) MSC: Client
Needs: Psychosocial Integrity
2. The nurse is assessing the mental status of a child. Which statement
about children and mental status is true?
a. All aspects of mental status in children are interdependent.
b. Children are highly labile and unstable until the age of 2 years.
c. A child's mental status is impossible to assess until the child develops
the ability to concentrate.
,d. Children's mental status is largely a function of their parents' level of
functioning until the age of 7 years. - ✔✔ANS: A
It is difficult to separate and trace the development of just one aspect
of mental status. All aspects are interdependent. For example,
consciousness is rudimentary at birth because the cerebral cortex is not
yet developed. The infant cannot distinguish the self from the mother's
body. The other statements are not true. Options B, C, and D are all
false statements. It is difficult to separate and trace the development of
just one aspect of mental status. All aspects are interdependent. For
example, consciousness is rudimentary at birth because the cerebral
cortex is not yet developed. The infant cannot distinguish the self from
the mother's body.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension) MSC: Client
Needs: Psychosocial Integrity
3. The nurse is assessing a 75-year-old man. What should the nurse
expect when performing the mental status portion of the assessment?
, a. Will have no decrease in any of his abilities, including response time.
b. Will have difficulty on tests of remote memory because this ability
typically decreases with age.
c. May take a little longer to respond, but his general knowledge and
abilities should not have declined.
d. Will exhibit a decrease in his response time because of the loss of
language and a decrease in general knowledge. - ✔✔ANS: C
The aging process leaves the parameters of mental status mostly intact.
General knowledge does not decrease, and little or no loss in
vocabulary occurs. Response time is slower than in a youth. It takes a
little longer for the brain to process information and to react to it.
Recent memory, which requires some processing, is somewhat
decreased with aging, but remote memory is not affected.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Applying (Application) MSC: Client Needs:
Psychosocial Integrity
ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS WITH 100%
CORRECT ANSWERS { GRADED A+}
1. During an examination, the nurse can assess mental status by which
activity?
a. Examining the patient's electroencephalogram
b. Observing the patient as he or she performs an intelligence quotient
(IQ) test
c. Observing the patient and inferring health or dysfunction
d. Examining the patient's response to a specific set of questions -
✔✔ANS: C
,Mental status cannot be directly scrutinized like the characteristics of
skin or heart sounds. Its functioning is inferred through an assessment
of an individual's behaviors, such as consciousness, language, mood and
affect, and other aspects. Mental status cannot be directly scrutinized
through tests such as an electroencephalogram, intelligence quotient
(IQ) test, or responses to questions. Instead, the functioning of mental
status is inferred through an assessment of an individual's behaviors,
such as consciousness, language, mood and affect, and other aspects.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension) MSC: Client
Needs: Psychosocial Integrity
2. The nurse is assessing the mental status of a child. Which statement
about children and mental status is true?
a. All aspects of mental status in children are interdependent.
b. Children are highly labile and unstable until the age of 2 years.
c. A child's mental status is impossible to assess until the child develops
the ability to concentrate.
,d. Children's mental status is largely a function of their parents' level of
functioning until the age of 7 years. - ✔✔ANS: A
It is difficult to separate and trace the development of just one aspect
of mental status. All aspects are interdependent. For example,
consciousness is rudimentary at birth because the cerebral cortex is not
yet developed. The infant cannot distinguish the self from the mother's
body. The other statements are not true. Options B, C, and D are all
false statements. It is difficult to separate and trace the development of
just one aspect of mental status. All aspects are interdependent. For
example, consciousness is rudimentary at birth because the cerebral
cortex is not yet developed. The infant cannot distinguish the self from
the mother's body.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension) MSC: Client
Needs: Psychosocial Integrity
3. The nurse is assessing a 75-year-old man. What should the nurse
expect when performing the mental status portion of the assessment?
, a. Will have no decrease in any of his abilities, including response time.
b. Will have difficulty on tests of remote memory because this ability
typically decreases with age.
c. May take a little longer to respond, but his general knowledge and
abilities should not have declined.
d. Will exhibit a decrease in his response time because of the loss of
language and a decrease in general knowledge. - ✔✔ANS: C
The aging process leaves the parameters of mental status mostly intact.
General knowledge does not decrease, and little or no loss in
vocabulary occurs. Response time is slower than in a youth. It takes a
little longer for the brain to process information and to react to it.
Recent memory, which requires some processing, is somewhat
decreased with aging, but remote memory is not affected.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Applying (Application) MSC: Client Needs:
Psychosocial Integrity
