ATI MENTAL HEALTH PROCTORED EXAM; Complete
Solutions with 100% Verified Answers Updated 2025
A nursing student new to psychiatric-mental health nursing asks a peer what resources he can use to
figure out which symptoms are present in a specific psychiatric disorder. The best answer would be:
a. Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC)
b. Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC)
c. NANDA-I nursing diagnoses
d. DSM-5 - ANSWER – D
A psychiatric nurse is reviewing prescriptions for a patient with major depression at the county clinic.
Since the patient has a mild intellectual disability, the nurse would question which classification of
antidepressant drugs:
a. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
b. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors
c. Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors
d. All of the above - ANSWER - B
Which intervention demonstrates an attempt by nursing staff to meet the goals identified by the Joint
Commission as National Patient Safety Goals? Select all that apply.
a. Identifying patients using both name and date of birth before drawing blood.
b. Sitting with the patient diagnosed with an eating disorder during meals. c. Administering the Beck
Scale on each patient at the time of admission. d. Performing a medication history assessment on each
new patient.
e. Using appropriate hand washing technique at all times. - ANSWER - A,C,D,E
pg. 1
,The mental health team is determining treatment options for a male patient who is experiencing
psychotic symptoms. Which question(s) should the team answer to determine whether a community
outpatient or inpatient setting is most appropriate? Select all that apply.
a. "Is the patient expressing suicidal thoughts?"
b. "Does the patient have intact judgment and insight into his situation?"
c. "Does the patient have experiences with either community or inpatient mental healthcare facilities?"
d. "Does the patient require a therapeutic environment to support the management of psychotic
symptoms?"
e. "Does the patient require the regular involvement of their family/significant other in planning and
executing the plan of care?" - ANSWER - A,B,D,E
A Gulf War veteran has been homeless since being discharged from military service. He is now diagnosed
with schizophrenia. The nurse practitioner recognizes that assertive community treatment (ACT) is a
good option for this patient since ACT provides:
a. Psychiatric home care
b. Care for hard-to-engage, seriously ill patients
c. Outpatient community mental health center care
d. A comprehensive emergency service model - ANSWER - B
epidemiological studies contribute to improvements in care for individuals with mental disorders by:
Select all that apply:
a. Providing information about effective nursing techniques.
b. Identifying risk factors that contribute to the development of a disorder.
c. Identifying individuals in the general population who will develop a specific disorder.
d. Identifying which individuals will respond favorably to a specific treatment. - ANSWER - B,D
When discussing therapy options, the nurse should provide information about interpersonal therapy to
which patient? Select all that apply.
a. The teenager who is the focus of bullying at school
b. The older woman who has just lost her life partner to cancer
pg. 2
,c. The young adult who has begun demonstrating hoarding tendencies d. The adolescent demonstrating
aggressive verbal and physical tendencies e. The middle-aged adult who recently discovered her partner
has been unfaithful - ANSWER - A,B,E
When considering the suggestions of Hildegard Peplau, which activity should the nurse regularly engage
in to ensure that the patient stays the focus of all therapeutic conversations?
a. Assessing the patient for unexpressed concerns and fears
b. Evaluating the possible need for additional training and education
c. Reflecting on personal behaviors and personal needs
d. Avoiding power struggles with the manipulative patient - ANSWER - C
Which action reflects therapeutic practices associated with operant conditioning?
a. Encouraging a parent to read to their children to foster a love for learning
b. Encouraging a patient to make daily journal entries describing their feelings
c. Suggesting to a new mother that she spend time cuddling her newborn often during the day
d. Acknowledging a patient who is often verbally aggressive for complimenting a picture another patient
drew - ANSWER - D
Linda is terrified of spiders and cannot explain why. Because she lives in a wooded area, she would like to
overcome this overwhelming fear. Her nurse practitioner suggests which therapy?
a. Behavioral
b. Biofeedback
c. Aversion
d. Systematic desensitization - ANSWER – D
Which nursing intervention is particularly well chosen for addressing a population at high risk for
developing schizophrenia?
a. Screening a group of males between the ages of 15 and 25 for early symptoms.
b. Forming a support group for females aged 25 to 35 who are diagnosed with substance use issues.
c. Providing a group for patients between the ages of 45 and 55 with information on coping skills that
have proven to be effective.
pg. 3
, d. Educating the parents of a group of developmentally delayed 5- to 6-year-olds on the importance of
early intervention. - ANSWER - A
A 33-year-old female diagnosed with bipolar I disorder has been functioning well on lithium for 11
months. At her most recent checkup, the psychiatric nurse practitioner states, "You are ready to enter
the maintenance therapy stage, so at this time I am going to adjust your dosage by prescribing":
a. A higher dosage
b. Once a week dosing
c. A lower dosage
d. A different drug - ANSWER - C
Ted, a former executive, is now unemployed due to manic episodes at work. He was diagnosed with
bipolar I 8 years ago. Ted has a history of IV drug abuse, which resulted in hepatitis C. He is taking his
lithium exactly as scheduled, a fact that both Ted's wife and his blood tests confirm. To reduce Ted's
mania the psychiatric nurse practitioner recommends:
a. Clonazepam (Klonopin)
b. Fluoxetine (Prozac)
c. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
d. Lurasidone (Latuda) - ANSWER - C
Substance abuse is often present in people diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Laura, a 28-year-old with a
diagnosis of bipolar disorder, drinks alcohol instead of taking her prescribed medications. The nurse
caring for this patient recognizes that:
a. Anxiety may be present.
b. Alcohol ingestion is a form of self-medication.
c. The patient is lacking a sufficient number of neurotransmitters.
d. The patient is using alcohol because she is depressed. - ANSWER - B
Which intervention should the nurse implement when caring for a patient demonstrating manic
behavior? Select all that apply.
a. Monitor the patient's vital signs frequently.
b. Keep the patient distracted with group-oriented activities.
pg. 4
Solutions with 100% Verified Answers Updated 2025
A nursing student new to psychiatric-mental health nursing asks a peer what resources he can use to
figure out which symptoms are present in a specific psychiatric disorder. The best answer would be:
a. Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC)
b. Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC)
c. NANDA-I nursing diagnoses
d. DSM-5 - ANSWER – D
A psychiatric nurse is reviewing prescriptions for a patient with major depression at the county clinic.
Since the patient has a mild intellectual disability, the nurse would question which classification of
antidepressant drugs:
a. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
b. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors
c. Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors
d. All of the above - ANSWER - B
Which intervention demonstrates an attempt by nursing staff to meet the goals identified by the Joint
Commission as National Patient Safety Goals? Select all that apply.
a. Identifying patients using both name and date of birth before drawing blood.
b. Sitting with the patient diagnosed with an eating disorder during meals. c. Administering the Beck
Scale on each patient at the time of admission. d. Performing a medication history assessment on each
new patient.
e. Using appropriate hand washing technique at all times. - ANSWER - A,C,D,E
pg. 1
,The mental health team is determining treatment options for a male patient who is experiencing
psychotic symptoms. Which question(s) should the team answer to determine whether a community
outpatient or inpatient setting is most appropriate? Select all that apply.
a. "Is the patient expressing suicidal thoughts?"
b. "Does the patient have intact judgment and insight into his situation?"
c. "Does the patient have experiences with either community or inpatient mental healthcare facilities?"
d. "Does the patient require a therapeutic environment to support the management of psychotic
symptoms?"
e. "Does the patient require the regular involvement of their family/significant other in planning and
executing the plan of care?" - ANSWER - A,B,D,E
A Gulf War veteran has been homeless since being discharged from military service. He is now diagnosed
with schizophrenia. The nurse practitioner recognizes that assertive community treatment (ACT) is a
good option for this patient since ACT provides:
a. Psychiatric home care
b. Care for hard-to-engage, seriously ill patients
c. Outpatient community mental health center care
d. A comprehensive emergency service model - ANSWER - B
epidemiological studies contribute to improvements in care for individuals with mental disorders by:
Select all that apply:
a. Providing information about effective nursing techniques.
b. Identifying risk factors that contribute to the development of a disorder.
c. Identifying individuals in the general population who will develop a specific disorder.
d. Identifying which individuals will respond favorably to a specific treatment. - ANSWER - B,D
When discussing therapy options, the nurse should provide information about interpersonal therapy to
which patient? Select all that apply.
a. The teenager who is the focus of bullying at school
b. The older woman who has just lost her life partner to cancer
pg. 2
,c. The young adult who has begun demonstrating hoarding tendencies d. The adolescent demonstrating
aggressive verbal and physical tendencies e. The middle-aged adult who recently discovered her partner
has been unfaithful - ANSWER - A,B,E
When considering the suggestions of Hildegard Peplau, which activity should the nurse regularly engage
in to ensure that the patient stays the focus of all therapeutic conversations?
a. Assessing the patient for unexpressed concerns and fears
b. Evaluating the possible need for additional training and education
c. Reflecting on personal behaviors and personal needs
d. Avoiding power struggles with the manipulative patient - ANSWER - C
Which action reflects therapeutic practices associated with operant conditioning?
a. Encouraging a parent to read to their children to foster a love for learning
b. Encouraging a patient to make daily journal entries describing their feelings
c. Suggesting to a new mother that she spend time cuddling her newborn often during the day
d. Acknowledging a patient who is often verbally aggressive for complimenting a picture another patient
drew - ANSWER - D
Linda is terrified of spiders and cannot explain why. Because she lives in a wooded area, she would like to
overcome this overwhelming fear. Her nurse practitioner suggests which therapy?
a. Behavioral
b. Biofeedback
c. Aversion
d. Systematic desensitization - ANSWER – D
Which nursing intervention is particularly well chosen for addressing a population at high risk for
developing schizophrenia?
a. Screening a group of males between the ages of 15 and 25 for early symptoms.
b. Forming a support group for females aged 25 to 35 who are diagnosed with substance use issues.
c. Providing a group for patients between the ages of 45 and 55 with information on coping skills that
have proven to be effective.
pg. 3
, d. Educating the parents of a group of developmentally delayed 5- to 6-year-olds on the importance of
early intervention. - ANSWER - A
A 33-year-old female diagnosed with bipolar I disorder has been functioning well on lithium for 11
months. At her most recent checkup, the psychiatric nurse practitioner states, "You are ready to enter
the maintenance therapy stage, so at this time I am going to adjust your dosage by prescribing":
a. A higher dosage
b. Once a week dosing
c. A lower dosage
d. A different drug - ANSWER - C
Ted, a former executive, is now unemployed due to manic episodes at work. He was diagnosed with
bipolar I 8 years ago. Ted has a history of IV drug abuse, which resulted in hepatitis C. He is taking his
lithium exactly as scheduled, a fact that both Ted's wife and his blood tests confirm. To reduce Ted's
mania the psychiatric nurse practitioner recommends:
a. Clonazepam (Klonopin)
b. Fluoxetine (Prozac)
c. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
d. Lurasidone (Latuda) - ANSWER - C
Substance abuse is often present in people diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Laura, a 28-year-old with a
diagnosis of bipolar disorder, drinks alcohol instead of taking her prescribed medications. The nurse
caring for this patient recognizes that:
a. Anxiety may be present.
b. Alcohol ingestion is a form of self-medication.
c. The patient is lacking a sufficient number of neurotransmitters.
d. The patient is using alcohol because she is depressed. - ANSWER - B
Which intervention should the nurse implement when caring for a patient demonstrating manic
behavior? Select all that apply.
a. Monitor the patient's vital signs frequently.
b. Keep the patient distracted with group-oriented activities.
pg. 4
