NR 668 EXAM PREP LATEST PSYCHIATRIC MENTAL HEALTH
CAPSTONE PRACTICUM INTENSIVE ANSWERED| | QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS RATED A+ | 2025/2026 GUIDE
1. What are the main components of a psychiatric assessment and what are some tools or
methods to conduct each component? (10 points)
Answer: A psychiatric assessment consists of four main components: history, mental status
examination, physical examination, and diagnostic tests. Some tools or methods to conduct
each component are:
- History: interviewing the patient and obtaining information from other sources (e.g., family,
medical records, etc.) about the patient's personal, family, medical, psychiatric, social,
occupational, and substance use history.
- Mental status examination: observing and documenting the patient's appearance, behavior,
mood, affect, speech, thought process, thought content, perception, cognition, insight, and
judgment.
- Physical examination: performing a general physical examination and focusing on any
signs or symptoms that may indicate a medical condition that could affect the patient's
mental health or interfere with the treatment.
- Diagnostic tests: ordering and interpreting laboratory tests (e.g., blood tests, urine tests,
etc.), imaging studies (e.g., CT scan, MRI, etc.), or other tests (e.g., electroencephalogram,
neuropsychological testing, etc.) that may help to rule out or confirm a diagnosis or
identify any comorbidities.
2. What are some common psychiatric emergencies and how would you manage them in a
clinical setting? (10 points)
Answer: Some common psychiatric emergencies are:
- Suicidal ideation or behavior: assessing the patient's risk level, ensuring their safety,
providing support and crisis intervention, initiating or modifying the treatment plan, and
arranging for follow-up care or referral.
- Aggressive or violent behavior: assessing the patient's risk level, ensuring the safety of the
, patient and others, using de-escalation techniques or physical restraint if necessary,
administering medication if indicated, and evaluating the cause and triggers of the
behavior.
- Psychotic symptoms: assessing the patient's level of reality testing, ensuring their safety,
providing support and reassurance, administering medication if indicated, and evaluating
the cause and severity of the symptoms.
- Substance intoxication or withdrawal: assessing the patient's level of intoxication or
withdrawal, ensuring their safety, providing supportive care and monitoring vital signs,
administering medication if indicated, and evaluating the need for detoxification or
referral.
3. What are some evidence-based psychotherapies for major depressive disorder and how do
they work? (10 points)
Answer: Some evidence-based psychotherapies for major depressive disorder are:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): a short-term therapy that aims to identify and modify
the patient's negative thoughts and behaviors that contribute to their depression. It also
teaches the patient coping skills and problem-solving strategies to deal with stressful
situations and improve their mood.
- Interpersonal therapy (IPT): a short-term therapy that focuses on the patient's interpersonal
relationships and how they affect their depression. It also helps the patient to improve their
, communication skills and resolve any conflicts or role transitions that may cause distress.
- Behavioral activation (BA): a therapy that involves increasing the patient's engagement in
rewarding activities that are consistent with their values and goals. It also helps the patient
to reduce their avoidance of unpleasant situations and cope with negative emotions.
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT): a therapy that combines CBT with
mindfulness techniques such as meditation and awareness exercises. It helps the patient to
become more aware of their thoughts and feelings without judging them or reacting to
them. It also helps the patient to prevent relapse by recognizing early signs of depression
and applying coping skills.
4. What are some pharmacological treatments for bipolar disorder and what are their
indications,
contraindications,
side effects,
and monitoring parameters? (10 points)
Answer: Some pharmacological treatments for bipolar disorder are:
- Mood stabilizers: medications that help to prevent or reduce the frequency and severity of
manic and depressive episodes. Examples are lithium,
valproate,
carbamazepine,
and lamotrigine. Their indications are acute mania,
acute depression,
or maintenance treatment. Their contraindications are hypersensitivity,
severe renal or hepatic impairment,
or pregnancy (for some agents). Their side effects include gastrointestinal distress,
weight gain,
tremor,
sedation,
cognitive impairment,
rash,
and blood dyscrasias. Their monitoring parameters include serum levels,
renal function,
liver function,
thyroid function,
and blood counts.
- Antipsychotics: medications that help to control psychotic symptoms such as delusions,
hallucinations,
or paranoia that may occur in bipolar disorder. Examples are olanzapine,
quetiapine,
risperidone,
aripiprazole,
and ziprasidone. Their indications are acute mania with psychotic features,
acute depression with psychotic features,
, 1. Besides Bantianxiety Bagents, Bwhich Bclassification Bof Bdrugs Bis Balso Bcommonly Bgiven Bto
Btreat Banxiety Band Banxiety Bdisorders?
a. Antipsychotics
b. Mood Bstabilizers
c. Antidepressants
d. Cholinesterase Binhibitors
2. What Bassessment Bquestion Bwill Bprovide Bthe Bnurse Bwith Binformation Bregarding Bthe Beffects
Bof Ba Bwoman’s Bcircadian Brhythms Bon Bher Bquality Bof Blife?
a. “How Bmuch Bsleep Bdo Byou Busually Bget Beach Bnight?”
b. “Does Byour Bheart Bever Bseem Bto Bskip Ba Bbeat?”
c. “When Bwas Bthe Blast Btime Byou Bhad Ba Bfever?”
CAPSTONE PRACTICUM INTENSIVE ANSWERED| | QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS RATED A+ | 2025/2026 GUIDE
1. What are the main components of a psychiatric assessment and what are some tools or
methods to conduct each component? (10 points)
Answer: A psychiatric assessment consists of four main components: history, mental status
examination, physical examination, and diagnostic tests. Some tools or methods to conduct
each component are:
- History: interviewing the patient and obtaining information from other sources (e.g., family,
medical records, etc.) about the patient's personal, family, medical, psychiatric, social,
occupational, and substance use history.
- Mental status examination: observing and documenting the patient's appearance, behavior,
mood, affect, speech, thought process, thought content, perception, cognition, insight, and
judgment.
- Physical examination: performing a general physical examination and focusing on any
signs or symptoms that may indicate a medical condition that could affect the patient's
mental health or interfere with the treatment.
- Diagnostic tests: ordering and interpreting laboratory tests (e.g., blood tests, urine tests,
etc.), imaging studies (e.g., CT scan, MRI, etc.), or other tests (e.g., electroencephalogram,
neuropsychological testing, etc.) that may help to rule out or confirm a diagnosis or
identify any comorbidities.
2. What are some common psychiatric emergencies and how would you manage them in a
clinical setting? (10 points)
Answer: Some common psychiatric emergencies are:
- Suicidal ideation or behavior: assessing the patient's risk level, ensuring their safety,
providing support and crisis intervention, initiating or modifying the treatment plan, and
arranging for follow-up care or referral.
- Aggressive or violent behavior: assessing the patient's risk level, ensuring the safety of the
, patient and others, using de-escalation techniques or physical restraint if necessary,
administering medication if indicated, and evaluating the cause and triggers of the
behavior.
- Psychotic symptoms: assessing the patient's level of reality testing, ensuring their safety,
providing support and reassurance, administering medication if indicated, and evaluating
the cause and severity of the symptoms.
- Substance intoxication or withdrawal: assessing the patient's level of intoxication or
withdrawal, ensuring their safety, providing supportive care and monitoring vital signs,
administering medication if indicated, and evaluating the need for detoxification or
referral.
3. What are some evidence-based psychotherapies for major depressive disorder and how do
they work? (10 points)
Answer: Some evidence-based psychotherapies for major depressive disorder are:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): a short-term therapy that aims to identify and modify
the patient's negative thoughts and behaviors that contribute to their depression. It also
teaches the patient coping skills and problem-solving strategies to deal with stressful
situations and improve their mood.
- Interpersonal therapy (IPT): a short-term therapy that focuses on the patient's interpersonal
relationships and how they affect their depression. It also helps the patient to improve their
, communication skills and resolve any conflicts or role transitions that may cause distress.
- Behavioral activation (BA): a therapy that involves increasing the patient's engagement in
rewarding activities that are consistent with their values and goals. It also helps the patient
to reduce their avoidance of unpleasant situations and cope with negative emotions.
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT): a therapy that combines CBT with
mindfulness techniques such as meditation and awareness exercises. It helps the patient to
become more aware of their thoughts and feelings without judging them or reacting to
them. It also helps the patient to prevent relapse by recognizing early signs of depression
and applying coping skills.
4. What are some pharmacological treatments for bipolar disorder and what are their
indications,
contraindications,
side effects,
and monitoring parameters? (10 points)
Answer: Some pharmacological treatments for bipolar disorder are:
- Mood stabilizers: medications that help to prevent or reduce the frequency and severity of
manic and depressive episodes. Examples are lithium,
valproate,
carbamazepine,
and lamotrigine. Their indications are acute mania,
acute depression,
or maintenance treatment. Their contraindications are hypersensitivity,
severe renal or hepatic impairment,
or pregnancy (for some agents). Their side effects include gastrointestinal distress,
weight gain,
tremor,
sedation,
cognitive impairment,
rash,
and blood dyscrasias. Their monitoring parameters include serum levels,
renal function,
liver function,
thyroid function,
and blood counts.
- Antipsychotics: medications that help to control psychotic symptoms such as delusions,
hallucinations,
or paranoia that may occur in bipolar disorder. Examples are olanzapine,
quetiapine,
risperidone,
aripiprazole,
and ziprasidone. Their indications are acute mania with psychotic features,
acute depression with psychotic features,
, 1. Besides Bantianxiety Bagents, Bwhich Bclassification Bof Bdrugs Bis Balso Bcommonly Bgiven Bto
Btreat Banxiety Band Banxiety Bdisorders?
a. Antipsychotics
b. Mood Bstabilizers
c. Antidepressants
d. Cholinesterase Binhibitors
2. What Bassessment Bquestion Bwill Bprovide Bthe Bnurse Bwith Binformation Bregarding Bthe Beffects
Bof Ba Bwoman’s Bcircadian Brhythms Bon Bher Bquality Bof Blife?
a. “How Bmuch Bsleep Bdo Byou Busually Bget Beach Bnight?”
b. “Does Byour Bheart Bever Bseem Bto Bskip Ba Bbeat?”
c. “When Bwas Bthe Blast Btime Byou Bhad Ba Bfever?”
