NSG 552 Exam 1 (Stahl’s Essential
Psychopharmacology 5th Edition Test Bank)
(Wilkes University) Comprehensive Practice
Questions & Correct Answers.
A nurse is teaching a medication class to a group of psychiatric patients. One of them
asks the nurse why he has so much more trouble learning now when he's in his 60s
than he did when he was younger. Which of the following concepts would the nurse
integrate into the response?
A) The extrapyramidal motor system
B) The amygdala
C) Neuroplasticity
D) Psychoneuroimmunology - Correct answerC) Neuroplasticity
A patient has experienced a stroke (cerebral vascular accident) that has resulted in
damage to the Broca area. Which evaluation does the nurse conduct to reinforce this
diagnosis?
a. Observing the patient pick up a spoon
b. Asking the patient to recite the alphabet
c. Monitoring the patients blood pressure
d. Comparing the patients grip strength in both - Correct answerb. Asking the
patient to recite the alphabet
The patient diagnosed with schizophrenia asks why psychotropic medications are
always prescribed by the doctor. The nurses answer will be based on information that
the therapeutic action of psychotropic drugs is the result of their effect on:
a. The temporal lobe; especially Wernickes area
b. Dendrites and their ability to transmit electrical impulses
c. The regulation of neurotransmitters especially dopamine
d. The peripheral nervous system sensitivity to the psychotropic medications - Correct
answerc. The regulation of neurotransmitters especially dopamine
A student nurse mutters that it seems entirely unnecessary to have to struggle with
understanding the anatomy and physiology of the neurologic system. The mentor would
base a response on the understanding that it is:
a. Necessary but generally for psychiatric nurses who focus primarily on behavioral
interventions
b. A complex undertaking that advance practice psychiatric nurses frequently use in
their practice
c. Important primarily for the nursing assessment of patients with brain trauma caused
cognitive symptoms
,d. Necessary for planning psychiatric care for all patients especially those experiencing
psychiatric disorders - Correct answerd. Necessary for planning psychiatric care for
all patients especially those experiencing psychiatric disorders
A patient asks the nurse, My wife has breast cancer. Could it be caused by her chronic
depression? Which response is supported by research data?
a. Too much stress has been proven to cause all kinds of cancer.
b. There have been no research studies done on stress and disease yet.
c. Stress does cause the release of factors that suppress the immune system.
d. There appears to be little connection between stress and diseases of the body -
Correct answerc. Stress does cause the release of factors that suppress the
immune system.
A patient who has a parietal lobe injury is being evaluated for psychiatric rehabilitation
needs. Of the aspects of functioning listed, which will the nurse identify as a focus of
nursing intervention?
a. Expression of emotion
b. Detecting auditory stimuli
c. Receiving visual images
d. Processing associations - Correct answerd. Processing associations
At admission, the nurse learns that some time ago the patient had an infarct in the right
cerebral cortex. During assessment, the nurse would expect to find that the patient:
a. Demonstrates major deficiencies in speech
b. Is unable to effectively hold a spoon in the left hand
c. Has difficulty explaining how to go about using the telephone
d. Cannot use his right hand to shave himself or comb his own - Correct answerb. Is
unable to effectively hold a spoon in the left hand
A patient with chronic schizophrenia had a stroke involving the hippocampus. The
patient will be discharged on low doses of haloperidol. The nurse will need to
individualize the patients medication teaching by:
a. Including the patients caregiver in the education b. Being careful to stress the
importance of taking the medication as prescribed
c. Providing the education at a time when the patient is emotionally calm and relaxed
d. Encouraging the patient to crush or dissolve the medication to help with swallowing -
Correct answera. Including the patients caregiver in the education
The physician tells the nurse, The medication Im prescribing for the patient enhances
the g-aminobutyric acid (GABA) system. Which patient behavior will provide evidence
that the medication therapy is successful?
a. The patient is actively involved in playing cards with other patients.
b. The patient reports that, I don't feel as anxious as I did a couple of days ago.
c. The patient reports that both auditory and visual hallucinations have decreased.
, d. The patient says that, I am much happier than before I came to the hospital. -
Correct answerb. The patient reports that, I don't feel as anxious as I did a couple of
days ago.
The patients family asks whether a diagnosis of Parkinsons disease creates an
increased risk for any mental health issues. What question would the nurse ask to
assess for such a comorbid condition?
a. Has your father exhibited any signs of depression? b. Does your father seem to
experience mood swings?
c. Have you noticed your father talking about seeing things you cant see?
d. Is your dad preoccupied with behaviors that he needs to repeat over and over? -
Correct answera. Has your father exhibited any signs of depression?
A patient with depression mentions to the nurse, My mother says depression is a
chemical disorder. What does she mean? The nurses response is based on the theory
that depression primarily involves which of the following neurotransmitters?
a. Cortisol and GABA
b. COMT and glutamate
c. Monamine and glycine
d. Serotonin and norepinephrine - Correct answerd. Serotonin and norepinephrine
Which explanation for the prescription of donepezil (Aricept) would the nurse provide for
a patient in the early stage of Alzheimers disease?
a. It will increase the metabolism of excess GABA.
b. Excess dopamine will be prevented from attaching to receptor sites.
c. Serotonin deficiency will be managed through a prolonged reuptake period.
d. The acetylcholine deficiency will be managed by inhibiting cholinesterase. - Correct
answerd. The acetylcholine deficiency will be managed by inhibiting cholinesterase.
There remains a stigma attached to psychiatric illnesses. The psychiatric nurse makes
the greatest impact on this sociological problem when:
a. Providing educational programming for patients and the public
b. Arranging for adequate and appropriate social support for the patient
c. Assisting the patient to achieve the maximum level of independent functioning
d. Regularly praising the patient for seeking and complying with appropriate treatment -
Correct answera. Providing educational programming for patients and the public
The wife of a patient with paranoid schizophrenia tells the nurse, Ive learned that my
husband has several close relatives with the same disorder. Does this problem run in
families? The response based on recent discoveries in the field of genetics would be: a.
Your children should be monitored closely for the disorder.
b. Research tends to support a familiar tendency to schizophrenia.
c. There is no concrete evidence; it is just as likely a coincidence.
d. Only bipolar disorder has been identified to have a genetic - Correct answerb.
Research tends to support a familiar tendency to schizophrenia.
Psychopharmacology 5th Edition Test Bank)
(Wilkes University) Comprehensive Practice
Questions & Correct Answers.
A nurse is teaching a medication class to a group of psychiatric patients. One of them
asks the nurse why he has so much more trouble learning now when he's in his 60s
than he did when he was younger. Which of the following concepts would the nurse
integrate into the response?
A) The extrapyramidal motor system
B) The amygdala
C) Neuroplasticity
D) Psychoneuroimmunology - Correct answerC) Neuroplasticity
A patient has experienced a stroke (cerebral vascular accident) that has resulted in
damage to the Broca area. Which evaluation does the nurse conduct to reinforce this
diagnosis?
a. Observing the patient pick up a spoon
b. Asking the patient to recite the alphabet
c. Monitoring the patients blood pressure
d. Comparing the patients grip strength in both - Correct answerb. Asking the
patient to recite the alphabet
The patient diagnosed with schizophrenia asks why psychotropic medications are
always prescribed by the doctor. The nurses answer will be based on information that
the therapeutic action of psychotropic drugs is the result of their effect on:
a. The temporal lobe; especially Wernickes area
b. Dendrites and their ability to transmit electrical impulses
c. The regulation of neurotransmitters especially dopamine
d. The peripheral nervous system sensitivity to the psychotropic medications - Correct
answerc. The regulation of neurotransmitters especially dopamine
A student nurse mutters that it seems entirely unnecessary to have to struggle with
understanding the anatomy and physiology of the neurologic system. The mentor would
base a response on the understanding that it is:
a. Necessary but generally for psychiatric nurses who focus primarily on behavioral
interventions
b. A complex undertaking that advance practice psychiatric nurses frequently use in
their practice
c. Important primarily for the nursing assessment of patients with brain trauma caused
cognitive symptoms
,d. Necessary for planning psychiatric care for all patients especially those experiencing
psychiatric disorders - Correct answerd. Necessary for planning psychiatric care for
all patients especially those experiencing psychiatric disorders
A patient asks the nurse, My wife has breast cancer. Could it be caused by her chronic
depression? Which response is supported by research data?
a. Too much stress has been proven to cause all kinds of cancer.
b. There have been no research studies done on stress and disease yet.
c. Stress does cause the release of factors that suppress the immune system.
d. There appears to be little connection between stress and diseases of the body -
Correct answerc. Stress does cause the release of factors that suppress the
immune system.
A patient who has a parietal lobe injury is being evaluated for psychiatric rehabilitation
needs. Of the aspects of functioning listed, which will the nurse identify as a focus of
nursing intervention?
a. Expression of emotion
b. Detecting auditory stimuli
c. Receiving visual images
d. Processing associations - Correct answerd. Processing associations
At admission, the nurse learns that some time ago the patient had an infarct in the right
cerebral cortex. During assessment, the nurse would expect to find that the patient:
a. Demonstrates major deficiencies in speech
b. Is unable to effectively hold a spoon in the left hand
c. Has difficulty explaining how to go about using the telephone
d. Cannot use his right hand to shave himself or comb his own - Correct answerb. Is
unable to effectively hold a spoon in the left hand
A patient with chronic schizophrenia had a stroke involving the hippocampus. The
patient will be discharged on low doses of haloperidol. The nurse will need to
individualize the patients medication teaching by:
a. Including the patients caregiver in the education b. Being careful to stress the
importance of taking the medication as prescribed
c. Providing the education at a time when the patient is emotionally calm and relaxed
d. Encouraging the patient to crush or dissolve the medication to help with swallowing -
Correct answera. Including the patients caregiver in the education
The physician tells the nurse, The medication Im prescribing for the patient enhances
the g-aminobutyric acid (GABA) system. Which patient behavior will provide evidence
that the medication therapy is successful?
a. The patient is actively involved in playing cards with other patients.
b. The patient reports that, I don't feel as anxious as I did a couple of days ago.
c. The patient reports that both auditory and visual hallucinations have decreased.
, d. The patient says that, I am much happier than before I came to the hospital. -
Correct answerb. The patient reports that, I don't feel as anxious as I did a couple of
days ago.
The patients family asks whether a diagnosis of Parkinsons disease creates an
increased risk for any mental health issues. What question would the nurse ask to
assess for such a comorbid condition?
a. Has your father exhibited any signs of depression? b. Does your father seem to
experience mood swings?
c. Have you noticed your father talking about seeing things you cant see?
d. Is your dad preoccupied with behaviors that he needs to repeat over and over? -
Correct answera. Has your father exhibited any signs of depression?
A patient with depression mentions to the nurse, My mother says depression is a
chemical disorder. What does she mean? The nurses response is based on the theory
that depression primarily involves which of the following neurotransmitters?
a. Cortisol and GABA
b. COMT and glutamate
c. Monamine and glycine
d. Serotonin and norepinephrine - Correct answerd. Serotonin and norepinephrine
Which explanation for the prescription of donepezil (Aricept) would the nurse provide for
a patient in the early stage of Alzheimers disease?
a. It will increase the metabolism of excess GABA.
b. Excess dopamine will be prevented from attaching to receptor sites.
c. Serotonin deficiency will be managed through a prolonged reuptake period.
d. The acetylcholine deficiency will be managed by inhibiting cholinesterase. - Correct
answerd. The acetylcholine deficiency will be managed by inhibiting cholinesterase.
There remains a stigma attached to psychiatric illnesses. The psychiatric nurse makes
the greatest impact on this sociological problem when:
a. Providing educational programming for patients and the public
b. Arranging for adequate and appropriate social support for the patient
c. Assisting the patient to achieve the maximum level of independent functioning
d. Regularly praising the patient for seeking and complying with appropriate treatment -
Correct answera. Providing educational programming for patients and the public
The wife of a patient with paranoid schizophrenia tells the nurse, Ive learned that my
husband has several close relatives with the same disorder. Does this problem run in
families? The response based on recent discoveries in the field of genetics would be: a.
Your children should be monitored closely for the disorder.
b. Research tends to support a familiar tendency to schizophrenia.
c. There is no concrete evidence; it is just as likely a coincidence.
d. Only bipolar disorder has been identified to have a genetic - Correct answerb.
Research tends to support a familiar tendency to schizophrenia.
